


Two (Not) Deities and A Half

by AzTheDragon, Gravestar14



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Absurdity abound, Confusing timelines, Ganondorf is a good guy, Gen, Hyrule needs some help, Link is the Fierce Deity, Lyle is Link is Madas is why do we have so many names for him, Might not make sense, Milk is for War Gods, Slow Burn, Temporary Character Death, This is an AU and we messed with everything, Zelda is done with everyone in Hyrule Castle, but we don't care, fic pool for every headcanon we have
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:21:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 87,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23379025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzTheDragon/pseuds/AzTheDragon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gravestar14/pseuds/Gravestar14
Summary: They say history always repeats itself, in a way or in another. That is due to the fact that events of the past fade with time, be it decades or centuries. Hyrule is a clear example of this, with old gods, demons, madmen and heroes waging wars against each other in a never ending cycle and barely any records to tell the stories.Zelda is ignorant of this, but she's so done with people telling her what to do. She'd rather call upon an ancient wargod rather than kill a man that she's not even sure he's the reincarnation of evil.(An AU in which Zelda is done with her kingdom's idiocity, Ganondorf tries to be a good guy, and Link is far more than just a mortal soul chosen to save everyone)
Relationships: Ganondorf/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 28
Kudos: 195





	1. It All Began With A Glass Of Milk

Zelda paced frantically around in her room, not wanting to open the letter. She was told it was important, and that she should open it with the utmost haste before some catastrophe or other could hit their fair kingdom.

Which probably meant it was something she definitely didn’t want to deal with right now.

So she was passing the time by claiming she was reading a very important tome of knowledge. That she should not be disturbed unless something truly dire was happening. Like the moon falling from the sky, for example.

Thinking back at it now, she realized how absurd the claim was, but thankfully people had a tendency to believe that every word she said was sacred. Or something. Zelda didn't even bother trying to figure out what they believed anymore.

Not when she realized that they had made her first baby word into some sort of prayer.

Seriously, who considered 'bubunanano' as a sacred dictation should have their head examined thoroughly...

A groan escaped her lips, and Zelda flopped down onto the nearest chair. One hand reached up to massage her temple while the other threw the book she held onto the nearby desk. It had been a random choice, dictated more by the need to be quick rather than having to make sense. It was mere luck that her pick had ended up being a volume about deities, their powers, and whatever else mortals believed to be true.

Any other day and she might have taken a mild interest in the written words. After all, despite every idiotic belief people pinned on her, she was a curious one when it came to everything that existed outside the castle.

And yes. She even had a curiosity for deities other than Hylia. Mostly because she was so done with Hylia and wanted some refreshing view on the gods and goddesses of old.

Unfortunately for her, and her annoyance levels, her father firmly believed that these kind of tomes should be used by her to know more about her place as 'Her Grace Hylia', patron Goddess of Hyrule and Hylians.

“I am so done with them,” she muttered after a while, one hand supporting her chin in a very un-ladylike manner. If someone saw her, she was sure there would be a scandal. “Why am I even bothering?”

Probably because trying to contradict an entire kingdom of believers was more headache inducing than going along with them and whatever they came up with in their dreams.

She let her head hit the desk in a loud thud, groaning when she felt the sting of pain from her forehead. It was moment like these that she hated her exasperating life. All she wanted to do was study, maybe have some fun along the way, be a normal girl, have friends, and leave politics to her father for a few more years.

But no. Her powers had to manifest the moment she was born, thus making everyone think she was the Goddess Hylia. Stupid things had completely ruined her life since day one, and now she was the object of everyone's daily prayers.

It would have been alright with her if, once a week, the clerks down at the Temple of Time wouldn't come up to the castle with several boxes of requests from the pilgrims.

Seriously, she had divine sealing powers, not a wishing wand!

A distraught whine escaped her lips, but eventually her hands went to grab the Urgent Envelope TM. She ripped it open without a care and took out the message inside to read it.

And promptly wished she had burned the thing down the moment it had entered her room.

“The reincarnation of your enemy, Demise, is walking this world,” she recited, resisting the urge to bang her head on the desk again. “Seriously... do these people have anything else to do than search for the reincarnations of gods?”

Zelda balled up the paper and threw it into the fire, watching as the flames merrily licked at the material until there was nothing more than ashes flitting around.

Frustrated, angry, and ready to scream her head off, she grabbed at the discarded book with perhaps a bit too much force. Her fingers deftly moved past the first half, deciding that she had enough knowledge about Hyrule's patron Goddess to act that way, and stopped at the first listed deity.

Din, the Goddess of Power. Intriguing, but Zelda knew the creation myth like the back of her hand, and there was nothing much to know about it to begin with. Same with the next entries. Farore, Goddess of Courage, and Nayru, Goddess of Knowledge.

So she moved past them and came to the section dedicated to the less known gods. Actually, they were so obscure that most of them had no name, but only a title to call them by. Information about them was even scarcer, like Majora being a dark god in the form of a mask and the Fierce Deity being a war god with a passion for milk.

“Wait... milk?” Zelda reread the page again, and lo-and-behold, there it was. A supposedly bloodthirsty god that had a love for milk. “That... can't be right... right?”

No. Nope. No way. It made no sense.

Especially since the tome was saying that milk could be used to summon him for a contract or something along those lines. Zelda actually had to blink several times and rub her eyes raw before she decided that, yes, the offending word was still there.

She regarded the page like it had suddenly grown a head, then turned to the cover and searched for the author.

She found no name. Just the title of the tome embroidered in gold. And now that she was looking at it better, the book suddenly appeared way older than it was supposed to be.

“This... is getting weirder and weirder...” she muttered, suddenly unsure about what to do.

Still, the scholar in her was screaming to grab at the chance before it was too late. Suddenly, summoning a wrathful war god sounded to be a much more sane idea than killing some poor, completely random person that was probably trying to figure out why everyone was suddenly after their head.

“I need...” she stood up and let her mouth set into a determined line. “Milk!”

With her decision made, Zelda grabbed the book and turned to the door, opening it with so much force that the poor maid waiting just outside nearly had her nose blown away. "Your Grace," she mumbled, unsure and barely managing a curtsy. Most likely a new addition as older staff members were used to the princess' zealous way of opening doors. "Do you need assistance?"

Zelda closed her eyes and counted until ten, just like Impa, bless her soul, had taught her when she needed to calm herself down for appearance's sake. "Yes. Could you please bring a jug of fresh milk to my personal studio?" A pause. "Make it the best milk we have. I think either the Lon Lon or the Romani Chateaux. Actually, bring a jar of each. And six cups. Ask for help if you can't bring everything on your own. As soon as you can, if possible."

Before the main could show any confusion at the weird request, Zelda hightailed to her studio as quickly as possible. She avoided interactions with the random nobles that seemed to love roaming the corridors in search of anything to fuel gossip, and when she couldn't, she would just tell them off with 'goddess business' since they were so keen on believing she was Hylia's reincarnation.

When she was finally in her studio, and after telling the stationed knight to go guard something else, she set to work. She closed the windows, drew the curtains, revived the fireplace with a few more logs, and made space in the middle of the room.

By the time she was done, the maid was finally knocking on the door. “Your Grace?” the timid voice filtered through the thick wood. “We have brought you what you have requested. Lon Lon Milk and Romani Chateaux. Was brought to us this morning.”

Which meant that it was as fresh as it could get considering the short notice in which she had asked for it. “Come in and place it on the desk, please,” she instructed, barely able to hide her wide smirk. No need for them to mistake it for a mad one.

It took a bit of fumbling around for the young maid to open the door, but Zelda appreciated the effort nonetheless since she was also holding a large jug of milk in one hand and three glasses in the other. “This is the milk from Lon Lon Ranch,” she explained as she set her load down on the desk. She was soon followed by another maid, less young but still a new face in the castle. “And this is the milk from the Romani Ranch.”

The other maid was quick in placing her jug and cups down. “Your Grace,” she greeted with a curtsy just before leaving the room. The first maid did the same, and if Zelda wasn't so into this whole summoning thing she would have groaned in exasperation.

But their reluctance in staying around for a chat was not important at the moment. She had a god to summon for advice, after all.

So Zelda set to work again, grabbing the book and reading the page again just to be sure. She followed the instructions to the letter, dipping a finger into the milk and drawing strange patterns on the ground that, once complete, looked suspiciously like a cow.

“Yeah... right...” she muttered, eyes narrowed in vague disbelief. “If this doesn't work, I'll be the laughing stock of the kingdom. 'Princess Zelda, reincarnation of Hylia, tries to summon a war god by drawing cows with milk'...”

Still, she was far too into the procedure to back out now, so she poured some Lon Lon Milk into a cup and held it in her hands. She just hoped that a god obsessed with milk, of all things, would consider her choice to be fitting.

“One cup of milk,” she paused and tried hard to not snort at how that sounded. “To summon you, oh ancient god of the battlefield. Fierce Deity, I seek your help.”

For a moment she thought that, yes, she was going to be tomorrow's laughing stock, and that, yes, this was stupid. That is, until then the room started to shake.

At first it was very light, with only the lightest of things rattling in their place, but then the shaking intensified and things started to fall to the ground. At one point the vibrations became so violent that she could hear people screaming from outside and she was forced to kneel down to not lose the precious offering she held.

And then everything ended with a loud rip as if someone had just tore a piece of fabric in two. She looked up, confused, and saw that what had been torn was not a curtain, but the air itself.

“This... wow...” she muttered in disbelief. The cow pattern had actually worked!

Still, despite the large tear in the fabric of time and space, there was no sign of the war god standing in her studio. Which kinda posed a problem because she had no idea how to close the portal or explain it to Impa. She was definitely going to get a earful if she didn't sort this mess up. Goddess status or not.

“Oh for the love of everything that's calm and sweet,” a voice spoke. It was definitely male, and it certainly came from the portal. “I thought I had burned them all!”

The first thing to come out of the rip in the fabric of reality was a hand clad in a fingerless glove, black and with heavy looking protections around the knuckles. Then came the body which was attached to, and all Zelda could see was the green tunic traced with the same symbols and sacred lines she had seen in the book.

She internally wondered if this guy was as obsessed with green as he was with milk.

When the deity stepped completely through the portal, it shrunk behind him with the sound of sucking air until it closed with a loud pop. Zelda gave an internal sigh of relief at that. Impa wouldn't be chewing on her head any time soon. Well, at least until she found out that she had asked a war god for help...

“So, uh,” the princess forced her eyes away from the green tunic and onto what was located above it. Namely, a war painted face, white eyes that seemed to shine in the dim light of the studio, and a head full of long, unkempt hair that was the same color as the milk she was holding.

The deity turned to her, and scratched at his head. It caused his hair to tangle up even more than they already were. “Please, tell me you haven't summoned me to hook you up with the Pretty Boy of the Village... oh, milk!” He reached forward and grabbed the cup from Zelda's still outstretched hands, drinking it quickly the moment he brought it to his lips. “Hm. Very airy, quite light, all in all a remarkable glass. Lon Lon Milk is one of the best in Hyrule.”

The first thing Zelda could think about the meeting was that this strange person standing in the middle of her studio couldn't be a war god. Sure, he had the fierce look down to perfection, but the rat's nest in his hair and the love for milk was too much of a contrast with what she read of him.

“Apologies for asking,” she mumbled, too dazed to stand up and properly greet the deity. “But... the book spoke of you, the Fierce Deity, as a... bloodthirsty war god?”

“Lady, never fully believe what the books says most of the time,” he replied offhandedly. He held up the empty cup and waved it gently. “And if you want to ask something, you got to offer something first.”

"Uh, yes, my apologies..." Zelda muttered. She felt a blush starting to spread on her cheeks upon realizing she had forgotten the second part of the ordeal. She quickly held up a second cup filled to the brim and offered it to him. "A second cup,” she recited, "to have you listen to my plea.”

The Fierce Deity raised an eyebrow, but the alluring scent of milk seemed to entice him more than anything else. "Very well," he gave a defeated sigh and sat down on the ground, one hand held out for the cup. "Speak. I shall listen."

There was a faint muttering coming from him, but it was so faint that Zelda couldn't understand more than a few scattered words that made no sense together. "Well," she started, handing him the cup and taking back the empty one. "This is a bit long, and complicated, and I'm not even sure you can help, but..." She threw her hands up in exasperation and defeat. She was truly at a loss. And at wit's end. It was the reason why she had pushed past the confusion and absurdity to summon a war god of all people. Or deities in his particular case.

"I have time." The deity waved a hand towards her while the other brought the cup of milk to his mouth. Unlike with the first cup, he took his time savoring this one. "But I am sure you don't."

Zelda frowned. She knew the words he said were true. It would be only a matter of time before someone stormed in to pester (sorry, petition) her to get-a-move-on or how-are-you-doing-with-that-letter. If that happened, they would see her guest, and misunderstand things just like they always did. Maybe even blow them out of proportions.

Yeah. She was not ready to deal with that.

So she took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself for a lengthy explanation that she hope would not bore the deity. “Years ago,” she began, “the Gerudo tribe of the desert was startled by the birth of a boy who was to be their King, as per tradition. However, it was found out that the child in question was born cursed. Appalled, the tribe exiled him, hoping he'd die.”

Considering this was going to take a good part of the evening, possibly the night too, Zelda stood up and reached for the extra jug of milk on her desk. While the summoning procedure spoke of the third cup being what sealed the deal, nothing was said against offering more than one during the second part.

A nice gesture that seemed to win her points with the god.

“His mother, however, could not abandon her newborn baby, so she left her tribe too. I suppose that's how this boy survived the harsh desert.” As she continued her tale, she watched how the Fierce Deity enjoyed his extra milk. The Romani Chateaux one. “A few years later, and I'm born. And they find out that I have these... divine powers... and... you won't believe it... they think I'm the Goddess Hylia reincarnated.”

The war god nearly choked on his milk. “You got to be joking,” he said, voice strained between coughs. One of his hands was wiping his face clean, while the other lightly punched at his chest. “There's no way you...”

Zelda didn't know if her smile came out as forced or cringe-y. Or maybe it was both.

“Yeah, and that's not all...” she continued, bringing her fingers up to massage her temples. Even just by telling the story, she was getting a headache. “Fast forward to today. Somehow, someone found out about this supposedly cursed child, panicked, wrote to the king. Now my people wants me to kill this person because, apparently, he's my mortal enemy of ages ago. So, here's what I'm really asking. Is there a way to end all this without any bloodshed? Any kind of help or advice is welcomed, because, I'll be honest, I don't know what I'm supposed to do.”

Two white eyes stared at her, unblinking, then the Fierce Deity put his face into his hands and groaned. Loudly. “Suddenly, playing matchmaker doesn't sound so annoying...”  
The deity picked up his fourth glass of milk -the Lon Lon variety- and seemed to contemplate her plight. Or at least, that’s what Zelda saw. In reality, he was already thinking how best to help her. After all, how could he turn down someone who needed assistance?


	2. It’s A Bad Day To Be A “Bad” Guy

The city guard had been down his back an awful lot lately, Ganondorf thought. He currently was avoiding a particularly nasty guard who seemed to have it out for the world. He was fairly certain nobody here knew who he was yet, but who could be sure? It was probably only a matter of time before he was run out of this town as well.  
His position in the tree (his current hiding spot) was uncomfortable and- with muscles cramping and suddenly deciding not to agree with him- he tried to shift into a better position between the sprawling branches. As the toe of his boot touched the branch he was trying to position himself on top of, his other leg decided to go on strike, dragging the rest of him down and out of the safe tree. He landed on the hard cobblestones with a loud thump as the guard swivelled his head towards the reverberating noise, sword drawn.  
“Must be a Thursday.” Ganondorf muttered, voice dripping with malice.

The guard stared at the sprawled form below the tree, weapon drawn for any potential threat. For a moment he said nothing- as if he was trying to figure out what to do- then he stood tall. "You must be from a place far from the city," he grunted. "So I will warn you once. Behave, or be prepared to spend the week in the dungeons. All hail Her Grace Hylia!"  
It took a lot of effort for Ganondorf to not snort loudly at the man. Wherever he was, the city belonged to the Kingdom of Hyrule, and while he was all for free food, the dungeons sounded too dirty to spend the night in.  
"Ah, sorry," he ground out, fake smile and all for the sake of appearance. "I was... not looking where I was going. The city is just... beautiful."  
The deepest parts of him shriveled and died at the words he muttered, but he knew too well what would happen if he started to diss anyone that came within shouting distance of him. It was better to deal with his inner death than having an entire battalion trampling through the city with him in the lead.  
Besides, the city was actually nice. Structurally. He could do with less people though...  
After the pleasantly unpleasant encounter with the guard, Ganondorf wandered the city. He was looking for quick work (perhaps) and some food (most definitely). If he found one of those options, though, the food would be preferable. He dug into his pockets, and- as he had a lot recently- found nothing but the empty shells of his hopes and dreams. Sighing, he turned to face the castle in the distance, its glowing spires tall and striking against the evening sun. Supposedly the home of the reincarnated goddess.  
A good reason he should never, never go there.  
Not that he’d WANT to meet the princess anyway. Someone who had been told they were a goddess and oh-so-holy their whole lives were bound to be full of it. Kind of like the pretentious city guards hanging around the various hamlets he’d been drifting through the past years.  
He fingered his fine black cloak, (the last thing he had left from his homeland) debating if he should sell it to pay for some decent food. Part of him really didn’t want to let go. The cloak seemed like the last, lost piece of a king he might have become. Maybe in a different life.  
If he wasn’t terribly cursed, that is. Supposedly, being the reincarnation of evil was a deal-breaker for kingship. Squinting, he thought he saw a flash from one of the upper windows of the castle. “Probably the perfect little princess reveling in her glorious power...” he muttered bitterly. The truth was, he was a little envious. She got a blessing, and was honoured and beloved by her people. Meanwhile all he got was contempt, fear and loathing ever since the day he was born.  
World’s worst birthday present. 

Still, there had been small tidbits of good in his life that helped him through the mud. His mother's smile (he missed her terribly, and how she charged like a boar at everything that was a threat to her boy), the smell of a warm cup of delicate tea (he had learned how to scavenge the land for the right herbs), and his strength. Sure, he wasn't as agile as everyone else, but he made it up when it came to raw power. The ability to throw annoying people towards the sunset was something he always enjoyed to do.  
But he was getting off topic now. The main problem today was getting food, and staying out of trouble while doing it. Maybe he could check out the darkest alleys, or maybe go steal from the dogs, or maybe 'ask' some kid to 'please' give him a 'share' of their 'midday snack'.  
Yeah. Appealing to kids always worked, and thanks to his 'charming' figure, they were very happy to keep their mouths shut. Ganondorf grin almost split his face in two, and his low chuckle echoed into the street.  
"I am watching you!" The same guard as before bellowed from the other side of the street, his own voice almost drowned into the chaos that was the market, "All hail the Goddess Hylia!"  
The Gerudo man froze. Maybe he should leave the evil tendencies for when he was alone.  
Casting a sidelong glance to the guard and making a mental note to not do anything too evil, Ganondorf sighed. This day was wearing on him, and all this time alone with his thoughts certainly wasn’t a good thing. They would inevitably drift back to him maybe being the source of everyone’s pain and suffering and probably destined to be evil and he wanted to avoid that. Wait, oops, Ganondorf thought, too late.  
Suddenly a loud trumpet sounded, jarring him back into reality.  
“The princess is exiting the castle!” A trumpeter sounded from the parapets.  
Seriously, did he need to know exactly what the princess was doing? However, thinking more deeply on the subject he realized he hadn’t heard of the princess leaving the castle before this. And clearly he WOULD have known if this is how people reacted. It must have taken something big to get her to move her divine butt out of utter luxury and glorification. Ganondorf’s eyes widened as he finished the sentence, something like the reincarnation of evil.  
It was time to leave. To leave and never come back. No matter how much food there was lying around for him to steal. Yeah, staying around was not worth the risk of being seen by the princess and getting killed.  
Still, part of him was curious. He had never seen the supposedly reincarnation of Hylia, just that she had the greenest eyes and the longest blonde hair in the kingdom. Not a very good description of the person that was supposed to kill him with a divine slap.  
Perhaps he could catch a glimpse of her while she walked around town, all the while he kept hidden. Yes, it would make things easier to know the face of his supposedly arch enemy.  
So, with that in mind, he made his way to the nearest empty alley while the rest of the population lined up along the main road. They were so busy trying to get the best spot for basking in her divine power that no one, not even the annoying guard, noticed when he grabbed a large cloth from one of the market stands and covered himself up with it.  
Perfect! Just like the spot he had chosen atop one of the forgotten crates. From there, and thanks to his height, he could see the procession.  
First it was simple soldiers on foot, bearing long pikes that pointed at the sky. Then it was the turn of several knights on horses, with polished armors and long feathers decorating their helmets. After them came the clerics from the Temple of Time (he recognized them because of their stuck up we-are-better-than-thou nature), with their white robes and gold jewelry (the cult of Hylia preached that everyone was equal and deserved to be rich, yet it seemed to only ever be the priests who seemed to have this much to adorn themselves with).  
And, finally, towards the end of the procession and followed by another dispatch of riding knights and foot soldiers, was her. She was being carried atop a small (and opulent) sedan chair that was open along the walls for everyone to see inside. She was waving, a small smile on her lips, and looked as if she couldn't (or chose not to) see the poverty that suffocated her fair city.  
Ganondorf growled, anger and hate suddenly taking a hold of his whole being. There she was, sitting in riches, when most of her people were dying of hunger. Namely him considering that the Gerudo tribe, even if independent in its internal government, was still under Hyrule's thumb for everything else.  
Part of him wanted to go there and steal everything she owned, kingdom included, but the more sane side was screaming him that it was an idiotic idea. Thankfully, Ganondorf was only poor and hungry, and not a blind moron, so the decision to do nothing was taken as soon as it was formulated.  
“Maybe I should leave...” he muttered to himself, eyes narrowing at the princess. After all, the more he stayed in the vicinity, the higher the chance was of him being discovered. He couldn't have that. He liked his head where it was, thank you very much.  
Still... The more he watched the girl, the more he felt that there was something wrong with her. Not in the physical sense. She was a pretty young woman with blond hair and dark eyes, and...  
Ganondorf frowned. That was not right. The princess was supposed to have green eyes, not a shade lighter than black. His eyes narrowed even more, as if with squinting he could zoom forward to the point where he could see the freckles marring her highness' facial skin.  
Yeah. That was not the princess. Just a girl posing as her. Probably to calm down the masses after the recent earthquake. And keep them distracted for a while as things up at the castle were sorted out before doing any official announcement.  
The Gerudo man knew he should be leaving. That he should not tempt fate more than he was already doing by existing. But the distraction was perfect and the temptation was great, and for the first time since setting foot in the city, he decided to follow his more... devious thinking.  
It was time to replenish his food sack, which had been empty for quite some time now.


	3. Oops

The Fierce Deity watched the princess pace back and forth in her studio, amused by her continuous muttering as she tried to sort things out in her head. “Perhaps you should present me to your people,” he suggested. He still held the fourth cup in his hand, and was twirling it around, watching as the last few drops of milk inside drew a circle along the inner wall. “Last thing you want is for me to be chased out. How am I supposed to help you then?”  
Zelda sighed, deep and long, and turned to face her guest. “I know! It's just that...” she paused and groaned, one hand going to rub at her forehead. “Don't... I mean no disrespect here. I know I should honor your presence and all, it's just... ohhh... I know how they think! Before I can utter even one word, they'll come up with these... wild ideas and accuse you of something you have not done! For being the 'reincarnation of Hylia', they sure never listen to me when I try to speak to them.”  
He laughed, loud and clear. “Blinded by their faith, uh?” He placed the cup onto the desk and walked up to the princess. Now that they were face to face, he realized that she was at least a head shorter than him, and that she was forced to crane her neck backward to look at him in the eyes. “But young lady, if you don't tell them I am here, they will still think I'm here to kill you. Just imagine what could happen then.”  
A hand went to her shoulder and patted it gently, a smile spreading on his lips. “While I prefer to not fight unnecessary battles, I will do so the moment I am threatened,” he said. “It's best if you take control of the situation before they do.”  
He winked once, then walked towards the door with the clear intent of forcing her hand. A hand reached for the handle, but before he could grab it, the door was swung open. Without warning.  
“Princess! Are you alright?!”  
The Fierce Deity had no time to see who the knight was, because the wooden edge impacted with the side of his face and was so violent that it made him go into an uncontrollable backward spin. His balance went on vacation the moment he collided with something soft and warm, sending him (and whatever else) careening towards the ground with a loud oof (and a feminine sounding 'gha' that didn't come from him).  
A moment later he found himself sprawled on top of the princess in a very compromising position that could easily be mistaken for something other than accidentally falling on her.  
“BLASPHEMY!” The same knight hollered. “INTRUDER!”  
He felt something heavy hit the back of his head, probably the back of a sword, and became too dazed to protest when he was hauled away.

...

The Fierce Deity rubbed his aching skull and looked around the small, uncomfortable cell. It seemed like these people took their “Goddess” quite seriously. They had made sure to give him the most miserable, dank cell in the history of horrible, dank cells.   
It was very horrible.  
And dank.   
And there were rats.  
He really loved the rats.   
And all this, he thought miserably just for trying to help. He wasn’t sure exactly how long he’d been laying in the middle of the floor, head pounding, unable to move due to the pain wracking his body. Though, with what they THOUGHT he did, he figured they weren’t out of place to give him a beating. Still, everything hurt. So. Much.   
The door of his cell slowly creaked open, and a figure loomed over him, tall and imposing. “You piece of garbage.” Impa spat, “How dare you do such a thing to the holy princess.” The Deity’s eyes widened. He recognized the leader of the Sheikah when he saw her. Suddenly, he felt terrible. These were the only people who gave him an iota of respect and now he’d let them down. Though, he really hadn’t.   
She grabbed the front of his tunic, hauling him to his feet and slamming him against the wall. He expected to get pounded on as she came closer, but instead the warrior whispered into his ear, “Zelda told me what really happened. Play along.”   
She slammed him against the wall again, lightly and he mockingly groaned, playing up a beating as the Sheika slipped a package into his pocket. Once the performance was finished and he was sure he was alone, he opened the package to find a small red potion, an ocarina, and a note. 

I’m truly sorry about this. Nobody will listen to me. I fear they will execute you on the morrow. This ocarina has been in my family for a long time, and supposedly has some magic imbued within. I hope it may aid your escape. The potion will give you strength. -Zelda

He smiled and downed the potion, immediately feeling much better. Then, he pulled out the ocarina. He closed his eyes and remembered a song that an old friend had taught him long ago. One that was supposedly able to transport you long distances. A song of soaring. The notes flowed out of the instrument with an unearthly melody, drawing the guards closer to his position. However, by the time that they had reached his cell, he was already gone.   
The flight took him far, and when the music had run its course, he landed in a small town. He seemed to be a fair distance from the castle, which was good. What wasn’t good was the patrolling guard staring straight at him. “T-that’s the holy ocarina of the princess!” he exclaimed with shock, “You dirty thief!”   
Out of the frying pan and into the fire, he guessed. At least he had somewhere to run now, and he did so quickly, bolting out into the maze of alleyways and away from the guard, who yelled at him to stop before pulling out his sword and following.   
He stumbled into an particularly dark alley, realizing suddenly he didn’t know where to go. Turning behind him to check how fast the guard was going, he slammed into what seemed to be a wall of bricks.  
“Hey!” an annoyed voice protested, looking down at his stunned form.   
The guard caught up to the both of them, huffing and panting from the effort. He looked at the other man with apprehension, “You’re that dude from earlier. With the tree...” The brick wall shuffled uncomfortably, looking down and eventually shrugging, clearly unaccustomed to this kind of interaction. He seemed tense, as if he expected the guard to jump on him at any moment. The guard instead suddenly relaxed, sheathing his sword and slapping the larger man upon the back. “I misjudged you. Thank you for helping me catch this vile thief. He stole something from the princess, can you believe it?!?”  
“U-um I well it wasn’t really a-a-anything I mean...” the man spluttered, uncertain and faltering. The look in his eyes screamed, ‘I don’t want to be here’.   
“Come with me!” the guard said cheerfully, slapping handcuffs on the Fierce Deity’s arms and hauling him to his feet. “I’m sure the princess would love to come and thank you personally for a deed such as this!”  
“I-I-I u-um no I mean that’s really not nec-c-ciacary...” he spluttered back.  
“But of course it is! I’m sure the princess would love to meet you!”  
"This... this is not my day..." the white haired man muttered, cuffed hands going to rub at his face. "I hope she has a better idea than mine..."  
"Come, friend! Let us go to the castle at once!" The guard hollered jovially, slapping the improvised helper on the back again while with the other he kept the Fierce Deity from getting away. Something he was trying to do since the moment the knight turned his eyes away from him.  
"Look, I... I appreciate the... uh... invite," the dark skinned man said. He raised his hands in a pleading gesture, hoping to at least dull the excessive enthusiasm of the guard. "But... but I have things to do, you know? Like, uh, helping some other people in the city! Yes! That is right! I cannot stop now!"  
As he said that, the knight beamed. His smile widened so much that for a moment the other two thought his face was going to split in half, sending blood everywhere. "You have such a kind spirit, sir!" he bellowed. "With that, Her Grace will surely bless you!"  
Then he turned and cast a narrowed gaze at the struggling 'thief' he was holding. "And you will not escape!" he yelled. A moment later he expertly bent down to cuff the deity's ankles so that all he could do was hobble. "ALL HAIL HER GRACE HYLIA!"  
"Do you people even listen to others?" Ganondorf asked in a mutter.  
The Fierce Deity snorted lightly. "Apparently, no."  
The walk to the castle was a long and arduous one, and nobody (save maybe the guard) enjoyed it. The Fierce Deity couldn’t shake the feeling that the other man was looking for a way out. He seemed nervous and fidgety, which could either mean he was simply unaccustomed to this kind of treatment (and thus, awkward about it) or hiding something. Though, something about the other man didn’t lead him to believe the latter was true.   
Either way, he couldn’t shake the feeling he was marching to his doom, slowly and painfully (his ankles were hurting from all the hobbling, and the bonds were chafing). When they finally reached the castle and the guard threw him down upon the front steps, he almost sighed with relief. The unlikely helper eyed the moat as if debating whether or not jumping off would kill him and if he should jump out of this situation if it wouldn’t. The Fierce Deity wished he COULD jump off, but, you know, chains are stupid like that. Plus, they probably wouldn’t let him die until he could be public humiliated and “serve as an example” first.   
The guards at the castle gate gaped, congratulating the guard and his makeshift helper heartily for capturing the princess's accoster. The ‘helper’ looked like he was more highly considering the bridge option.   
Once the congratulations were over, the guards beckoned the other man in and grabbed the Deity’s chains roughly, dragging him through the gates, inscribed with the holy writings of Hylia.   
“Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.” muttered the other man, unheard by the guards.  
A trumpet sounded and they were led to a towering set of double doors, “The princess will see you now. Privately, at her request. (Though we can’t understand why she would ask such a thing.)” they looked pointedly at the Fierce Deity “We’ll be watching you. And Impa is in there, so don’t try anything.” And turning to the other man, laughing, “Though we’re sure you’ll be right on it!”   
The doors of the princess’ halls opened. Cuing the two of them to walk in as the doors slammed shut behind them. Nobody had any idea what was coming next. But for this moment it was only the long expanse of hallway that led to her chambers.  
"So...." the Fierce Deity tried to make light conversation, hobbling beside the tall man. "Nice... uh... Nice corridor! I'm sure the princess is too busy to make the evening tour?"  
The guard accompanying them slapped him on the head with his pike. "Silence, prisoner! ALL HAIL HYLIA!"  
The huge man beside them looked around, desperately trying to find anything that could serve as a quick exit to his current situation. But the corridor was devoid of any door or window. All that existed was the door behind them, and the one in front.  
Trapped. He was trapped with an idiot and a man that sent really, really dangerous vibes. Ganondorf had no idea how he could be so jovial when he felt that way. It was like there was an invisible force clawing at his soul with a single-minded fierceness in search of what was hidden within his soul.  
Stupid curse. Always drawing the attention of the wrong people.  
But before he could say anything, they were inside the room. The overly enthusiast guard sat him down onto a plush chair that was TOO small for him (seriously, any wrong movement and the thin legs would shatter under his weight), then hurled the white haired man down onto the other chair.  
This action was much to the distraught of both the white haired lady (who had put her hands in her hairs and looked like something horrible was going on) and the princess (who hid her face in her hands and looked ready to hide in the nearest drawer).  
"I have brought the prisoner and the good sir that helped catch him!" the guard yelled, not even noticing Impa and Zelda's reaction. "ALL HAIL HER GRACE HYLIA!"  
Zelda hopelessly waved a hand. "Yes, yes. Thank you. You can leave now... We need to talk to them in private..."  
For a few seconds after the guard left, the silence was long and terse throughout the room. Suddenly, the guard-woman-something standing next to the princess moved over and released the chains upon the prisoner. Then Her-Grace-Lady-Whatever started to speak, “I’m sorry about all the kerfuffle Fierce Deity... as I said before, no one will listen to me about what really happened. And I fear giving you the ocarina has made this awkward situation worse....”   
Waitaminit, Ganondorf thought, this dude’s name is Fierce Deity?!?!? Nothing like a name like that to multiply the already dangerous vibes this guy gave him. Also, why was the princess chill with this guy? From what the guards were saying, some... interesting... stuff had happened. Maybe the guards were wrong though. Guards tended to be stupid like that.   
He needed to get out of here, though, and quickly before he was dragged into any of this garbage. Putting on his best I’m-totally-fine face, he got up and cheerily said, “If there’s no more problems, I don’t want to impose on Her Grace’s time.” The words tasted like acid on his tongue, but it was best he get out of here as quick as possible. Preferably without any monster-related problems.   
“Wait.” ordered the woman standing next to the princess, “Who are you exactly? You don’t look Hylian....”  
“N-nobody important...” he stammered, suddenly regretting drawing attention to himself.  
The woman narrowed her eyes, clearly unconvinced “The guards wouldn’t have sent you in to see the princess if you were ‘nobody important’ “  
He shrugged, pointing to the other guy, “He ran in to me, some guard dragged me here for ‘helping capture a heinous villain’. That’s really it.”  
The Fierce Deity shrugged, “That’s kinda true.”   
“Thank you.” Ganondorf said, appreciating the help, “Now can I leave?”  
“But...” gasped the princess, “Don’t you want a boon or something?”  
“Nope! I’m good thanks! Just want to go back to my life now! This place kinda sucks.”   
To his surprise, the princess snorted, “It does, doesn’t it? You ma-“  
The other woman cut the princess off, “Wait. I have some questions for you not-Hylian....”  
Trapped by the sudden query, he knew he couldn’t stay. This woman would get to the bottom of things eventually. It was only a matter of time before his secret was out. It wasn’t like being the only male Gerudo ever was inconspicuous or anything. There were places he could run to... out of this kingdom, over the sea, away. So he threw the small rickety chair at the woman and bolted.  
Only to be halted by the sudden opening of the door, which collided with his nose so violently that it sent him careening to the side.   
"Your Grace Hylia!" a new guard yelled, ignorant that he had just sent a huge man sprawling to the floor. "I heard a commotion. Is everything alright?"  
"Gee, people..." the Fierce Deity muttered, moving his gaze between the downed man and the clueless guard. "Learn how to open doors, will you?"  
Impa gave a deep sigh of exasperation. "I am your general, Mr. Slamindoors, I am perfectly capable to defend Her Grace," she said as she replaced the chair next to the other. "And yes, we are fine. You may leave now."  
But the guard's eyes were onto the Fierce Deity and his uncuffed hands. "Watch out! He's escaping!" And then his attention went to Ganondorf, still laying on the ground facedown. "And he killed the good sir!"  
Impa put her face in her hands, frustrated with everything. “I have TOLD you multiple times I can take care of this.” Realizing she had no other option, she walked over and whacked the Fierce Deity with the butt of her sword, knocking him unconscious. “There! Are you happy now?!?”


	4. Beginnings

In another, more isolated room of the castle, Ganondorf and the Fierce Deity slowly were dragged back into consciousness. Heads throbbing, they looked around, not recognizing the surroundings. Zelda was sitting on a footstool near the foot of the plush beds that the two men had been laid upon.  
“Good. You’re awake. Pardon the scenery change, but Impa wanted somewhere more private, and to also get away from the palace guards.” she explained.  
Ganondorf rubbed his sore nose, “Again, why do I have to be here?”  
“Impa is curious about you. She believes you are hiding something.” Zelda replied, “While she’s calming the guards and assuring people that everything is fine, do you two want anything?”  
“Milk!” The Fierce Deity replied enthusiastically  
“Perhaps a cup of tea...” Ganondorf ventured  
“Tea?!?” the Deity gasped, “That’s... odd.”  
“What?!?!?” Ganondorf smouldered, “Do you have a problem? And excuse me, you’re the dude asking for milk!”  
“Milk is a very wholesome drink!” the Deity protested in response, as Zelda giggled at the banter.

A knock on the door startled the group out of their conversation. “That must be Impa. She’ll want to talk to you...” she noted, pointing to Ganondorf, “And I need to talk more to you.” gesturing to the Fierce Deity  
“Well...” Ganondorf muttered sarcastically, “This can only end good....”  
The Fierce Deity sighed, a hand going up to scratch at his head, making the mess that was his hair even worse. "If I knew all this would happen, I'd have ignored the summon..." he muttered. "But a deal is a deal. Can't back out now..."  
Ganondorf sighed, ignoring the man next to him and wondering if he should jump out of the nearest window. Maybe he would be lucky and land somewhere soft. Or in the moat. Or just land somewhere and have enough intact bones left in his body to drag his sorry carcass as far away as possible from this madhouse that passed for a castle.  
It was a nice plan, but it could never be put into action because the lady known as Impa walked inside the room as if she owned it. "Apologies for being so disrespectful to you, Lord Madas," she said just as she kneeled next to the Fierce Deity. Something that she never did. Not even for the king himself.  
Zelda had to force her mouth close at that.  
"Oh, hey," the Fierce Deity greeted. He looked strangely jovial for someone that was mistaken as a villain and knocked unconscious a few times. "You know my name. That's cool! Hope we're good. I like your people. The last thing I want is for your tribe to hate me due to a misunderstanding."  
"That's..! Of course we're good!" Impa was positively horrified at the idea that the castle guards could cause so much harm between her tribe and the god without even trying. "The Sheikah would never turn their back to their patron god!"  
The princess's mouth did drop this time. "Wait... hold on... Impa?" she turned her eyes from the deity to the white haired woman. "Since when...? What is even going on here?"  
Impa cleared her throat with a cough and stood up tall. "Princess, the Sheikah respect Hylia, but we do not worship her," she nodded towards the amused war god. "We keep it secret to not cause conflict, but Lord Madas, the Fierce Deity, is the one we follow."  
To the end of the world and against any king went unsaid, and Zelda realized it was only because they desired peace that the Sheikah offered their services to the Royal Family.  
"Why do you think they all have white hair?" Madas laughed at the princess' shocked expression. Then he winked. "And Madas isn't my real name, but it'll do for now."

While they spoke, Ganondorf was slowly trying to reach for the nearest window without being noticed. Screw the gods, royalty and everything else that followed them. He was done.  
Looking out through the window, Ganondorf realized their position wasn’t just secluded, it was strategic. That was a long drop from the single window, too long to ever hope of survival.  
“Nice view, isn’t it?” Impa commented, “I suspected you’d try to bolt again. Though I can’t see why. You have nothing to fear if you haven’t done anything wrong...”  
“That’s a lie.” Ganondorf groaned bitterly, “Lots of judgements happen without logic.” then quietly under his breath. “I’d know...”  
He could feel the power inside him start to crawl under his skin with all this stress. He was becoming more and more certain he’d die here, and it wasn’t helping him stay in control of himself. He tried to hide the power flashing in his eyes by turning to face the window, cracking it open and letting the cool breeze hit his face. That didn’t help. He much preferred the warm, sandy breeze of the desert sands to... this.  
Zelda shifted uncomfortably, perhaps sensing the new power within the room, “Impa,” she said softly and slowly, “Perhaps we should give him some space for a minute. He’s not going anywhere and he seems out of his element...”  
Ganondorf was stunned speechless by the princess’s response. That was the absolute LAST thing he expected ‘her majesty divineness of Hyrule’ to say. His shock, however, chased away the beast inside. For now, at least. He turned around while he was still in control of himself, and faced the Sheikah warrior.  
“Get on with it.” he said, flat yet defiant, “What do you want to know?”  
Impa stepped forward, clearly intent on asking whatever she wanted to ask. It was like watching a cunning predator calculate how to best pounce on the helpless rabbit. It was something that sent cold shivers down Ganondorf's back. Still, his inner beast was now too far from his mind to take control.  
He was ready to answer, or to die.

"Leave the man alone, Impa," the Fierce Deity called from behind the woman. His voice was calm, but there was something in it that forced everyone to listen. "Everyone is entitled to have secrets as long as they do not harm others."  
Impa frowned, but did turn around to look at the war god. She looked ready to defy him, or to at least discuss it out, but in the end she relented. Something that surprised Zelda, who knew her to be very stubborn in her decisions.  
"Now!" Madas was back to his jovial self. He clapped his hands together and turned to face the princess. "You wanted to talk to me, yes?"  
Ganondorf couldn't believe the streak of luck that blessed him. It was so shocking that his legs threatened to give away under him, and to avoid crashing to the ground he grabbed the nearby windowsill.  
Maybe he should offer the god a glass of milk when this was all over and he was out there. Well, not directly. He was pretty sure that all he had to do was to fill a cup and give a quick prayer.  
Yeah, that was the best course of action because he was still going to leave for the mountains and never come back into this crazy city.  
Or at least that was the plan. But before anything, before Zelda could talk to the Fierce Deity on clearing his name, before Ganondorf could figure out how exactly to leave, before Impa could say another word, the door burst open.  
“Hello, Princess,” a cold and bitter voice laughed, “Fancy finding you here, consorting with criminals... the people would be SO disappointed...”  
“CriminalS?” Impa demanded, “But there’s only one person accused of a crime here!”  
The person bearing the voice was a man who looked every bit sly and conniving, with a long moustache and whip-sharp features. His garments reflected a high class, and the bands on the sides of his arms identified him as the leader of the Divine Guard. However, there was something about this man that didn’t scream noble, or defensive, or someone who would ‘protect a kingdom’. He laughed low and slow as he turned to Ganondorf, “Don’t you have something to admit ‘good sir?’...”  
Immediately, Ganondorf hated this man. “Getting food in my belly is such a crime then? No, I have nothing to admit, beyond doing what I have had to do, what this blasted kingdom made me do to survive. So you can take your ‘big revelations’ and stuff them up your butt.”  
“What do you want, Captain?” Zelda said coldly.  
“Well, you see, it would be quite the scandal if the people knew the princess was hanging around with someone accused of such... things... perhaps, the people might even thing their divine goddess had become... impure.... Now, you wouldn’t want to disappoint your precious people now would you?” He replied, twirling his moustache.  
“YOU WOULDN'T DARE!” Impa demanded, aghast.  
“Oh yes, I would. You forget, Impa, that your position here is merely customary and out of respect. I could easily kick you out as if you were a knat under my boot. Now, men, and princess, I need the support of the three races that hold the key to the triforce, and those keys. Don’t and I will have you...” pointing to Madas and Ganondorf, “Executed, And you.” pointing to the princess, “Exposed.”  
The three looked at each other, not wanting to be in this situation, but knowing they had no choice. Best to agree now and then cheat this man later. He could not have that much power.  
“Very well.” Zelda said softly  
“Oh, and here’s a letter for each of you. For the leaders of those three races. I wouldn’t want you all to work together or anything now would I, so you’ll be split up. Ganondorf to Death Mountain, Zelda to the Zora, and whoever you are to the forest. Good luck!” And with that, the Captain walked out.  
Madas pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed out a long sigh. "The more I hang around here, the more I realize how... how... this place makes NO sense."  
He looked up at the still open door, just as the back of the captain of the Divine Guard, and noticed that there were more of them standing just outside and ready to rush back in. They looked like they were extremely excited to "save" the princess, or whatever lie the captain had spun to them, and were loaded to the brim with shackles and chains for him and for the poor Brick Wall Man standing just next to him.  
Surprisingly, the Fierce Deity wasn't bothered by getting in far more troubles than he already was. After all, he was used to his life taking unexpected turns, and he had become an expert at getting out. Either by talking it out, sneaking out, or paving a path to freedom with his blade.  
What he couldn't stand for, however, was that innocent people would get involved in things that they never asked for. Or looked for.

Zelda, poor girl that was just looking for advice, did not deserve being framed like this. The still unnamed man, that posed as a brick wall, did not deserve to be caught in this whole affair just because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time.  
Or be sent on a wild goose chase because the man was a bit too much obsessed with power. And the Triforce was something really powerful, with that whole 'make any wish real' thing.  
But most of all, it was Impa. Just the idea that the leader of the only people that considered him 'real' was being accused of something AND being disrespected... well, it made his blood boil worse than a moblin being an ass on the battlefield.  
"Ok, alright," he muttered, eyes narrowed. "I'm calling for a break here, so you people stay out there until this meeting is done!"  
Before anyone of the Divine Guards could whine about being ignored (they probably were there to make sure he and the others would go to their destination), Madas rushed to the door and pretty much slammed it on the nose of the first guard. Part of him felt very happy at returning the gesture that had started this whole mess.  
"So, we don't have much time. Impa?" He was leaning heavily on the door and keeping the Divine Guards out. "What's below here?"

Impa straightened her back and suddenly looked extremely focused. "Right below us, rock ground and a defensive wall," she replied. She knew the layout of the castle like the back of her hand. "After that, the moat."  
The Fierce Deity nodded. "Here's the plan. Who wants to leave, stand on the outer wall and grab onto anything that could float. It'll be a... rough ride, I guess. Who wants to stay, hug the inner wall."  
He was not surprised to see the unnamed man literally cling to the bookshelf near the window. He was looking at him with a mixture of confusion and 'I'm up for anything as long as I get out of here!'  
Surprisingly, though, he saw Zelda, of all people, launch herself on top of the bed and bear hugging one of the bedposts. Impa looked torn for a moment until her loyalty to the princess and him won and she jumped on top of a nearby table. She looked ready to face anything.  
With the next action, he knew he would be framed with kidnapping on top of sexual assault, but he was so done with these people. How was he supposed to help the princess if he was hindered in every step?  
"Well, hang on then!"  
Then he... sort of exploded. Well, not him exactly. More like a huge amount of energy was released from his body in an uncontrolled blast that devastated everything within the room. It sent the outer wall flying into the night. It sent the shelf and the man after it, just like it did with the table Impa was on top of.  
And the same happened to the bed and Zelda, only that Madas was quick enough to jump on it as it reached the apex of its arch.  
"Impa!" He yelled into the night air. "If we get separated, meet at home!"  
He knew Impa would understand. She knew that the home he was referring to was her own hidden town, Kakariko.

And then, after a seemingly endless fall, they fell into the moat's icy cold water with a lout splash.  
"You realize this is going to further cause you problems?" Zelda asked as she moved her wet hair away from her eyes. She was sitting on the very wet mattress and looking somewhat dazed, but she was unharmed. "I'm sure they'll find any sort of felony to pin on you!"  
Madas looked strangely serious now. Something that Zelda found to be a huge contrast with the happier nature he had been showing until now. "Lady, your castle guards are idiots, but that captain guy? I could smell the corruption come off him in waves the moment he walked inside. I'm suspecting he is not the only one." He then smiled, and the situation felt less dire. "Don't worry. I'll keep you safe!"  
"Hey," the brick man called, floating past them due to a stronger current. "Is that a waterfall?"  
The current began pulling them, harder and harder, down to the looming drop-off of water. Who knew what was underneath? Could this be a hidden safety feature of the castle, or just merely a natural feature? Either way, the group needed to get off the deathly path. But there was nowhere to go. The tall walls surrounding the moat blocked them from any sort of escape, and climbing them (if that was even possible) would take so long, the guards would be waiting for them by they time they got to the top.  
There was no other option.  
“Hold on tight, people!” screamed Madas, “There’s no avoiding this...”  
The current rushed by them faster and faster as the group was dragged towards the edge, each member bracing themselves against whatever was available to hold on to. Then, as if out of a cannon, they were shot off the edge. Looking down, the Fierce Deity realized that (thankfully) there wasn’t any special defences underneath. Just a loooooooong drop and a lot of rocks.  
With a thundering crash, the mattress hit a patch of water, keeping him and Zelda safe. He couldn’t see Impa, but if anyone would be okay, she would. As he looked up, he saw the brick man falling from behind him. The trajectory was all off though. He was heading straight towards the...  
“Rocks.” Zelda gasped, “He’s going to hit the rocks!”  
Him and the bedstand hit the rocks at an awkward angle, which destroyed the bedstand and threw him off it at a bad angle into another batch of smaller rocks just under the water.  
“Crap Crap Crap Crap...” Madas muttered, turning to the princess, “You go ahead, I’ll catch up.”  
Madas jumped off the mattress and into the ice-cold water at the base of the waterfall. It wasn’t hard to find the brick wall man, floating limply in the water, and he grabbed and pulled with all his might, kicking upwards. Darn, this guy was heavy! But somehow, perhaps with a mix of desperation and needing to help this person not pay the price for his garbage, he manage to haul the larger man up unto the shore.  
Zelda was also there, wet hair plastered to her face and looking scared, but determined, “I know what you’re going to say, Madas. You said go ahead. But there’s no way I’m leaving the two of you behind.” She looked to the other man, holding her hand out over his bleeding face, and summoned light into her fingertips, slowly closing the wound with a burst of divine power. Madas couldn’t see the man’s chest rising and falling, so he started jamming on his chest, desperate with a desire to stop this. It worked. Coughing, Ganondorf slowly opened his eyes, one hand going to his now-uninjured head.  
“Y-You saved me...”

Zelda sat on her knees next to the huge man, sighing in relief. "I am deeply sorry that you got involved in this. Please, if there is anything that I can do to... repay you for all these troubles, let me know. I'm sure that once we solve this internal crisis, I can make it happen."  
Ganondorf stared at her in disbelief while many thoughts ran through his head. Everything people said about her was utterly wrong and massively exaggerated because there was no way this was the same person the kingdom worshipped.  
"Well..." his voice was hoarse from his encounter with the bottom part of the waterfall. "I... uh... It's all right, I guess. I mean, sure, I was hauled off to a place I never wanted to go... without my consent... and then was going to be forced into some task to recover something important to a clearly power-obsessed idiot, but... I guess it could have gone worse?"  
Zelda smiled and grabbed the man's hand into hers. "I am glad. As soon as I'm back at the palace, I'll make sure you can get what you want." A small pause and the lightest frown. "So long I can actually do it. I'm no miracle worker."  
"Sorry to interrupt you, princess," Madas was standing next to her, but was looking into the distance with a blank expression. "But you might want to avoid the castle for a while. Especially if that guy is after the..." his white eyes looked down at the large man, momentarily getting lost in his own thoughts. "I should not be talking this in front of you, but I have this feeling that you are far more trustworthy than anyone in that city despite your secrets..." He looked back at the waterfall and the castle hiding behind it and the surrounding landscape. "That person mentioned the Triforce. If he's looking for it, then we are all in danger."

Zelda cringed and let out a very faint whine of distress. "The Triforce? That divine relic that can grant anyone's wish? I thought that it was lost?"  
"Not lost," Madas replied. "Hidden away. I don't know where, but I do know you need three keys to access that place. I do wonder if he knows or why he wanted to send us to retrieve the keys. He must know more than he lets on, which is a problem."  
Ganondorf found himself paying this conversation more attention than he should. A wish-granting relic would solve all his problems. He could wish the stupid curse away and get his rightful place with his people. He would be happy, and serene, and be able to have a roof over his head every night like any normal person.  
His eyes narrowed as suspicion made its appearance in his thoughts. He knew very well to not trust what those ignorant priests (and their books) said about anything that was divine. They always exaggerated things. For all he knew, the relic was nothing more than a glorified piece of jewelry with no ethereal powers.  
Still, if he helped the princess, befriended her even, she would tell her stupid guards that he wasn't out to kill everyone.  
And if he helped the Fierce Deity with whatever task he was committing now, he could rack up enough divine favor to ask him to help him with convincing the Gerudo tribe to give him his throne.

"So... what's the plan?" he asked, surprising even himself with how much he was into this plan.  
Madas shrugged. "I don't know? My plans usually involve to go directly at the source of the problem and deal with it."  
Zelda stood up, shocked, and waved her hands into the air. "Oh no. No. No. No. I am NOT having you accused of murder. No matter how guilty they are. People still see him as an outstanding citizen and devoted to Hylia! It would be so unfair to you! A real god!"  
Zelda look around, throwing her hands up in exasperation and taking a few moments to look around, “Wait, where’s Impa?”  
“The scary lady?” Ganondorf asked, “I’m sure she’ll manage. Probably got carried further downstream.”  
Madas laughed, smiling, “Scary lady? Is that what you call her in your head Mr.Brick Wall?”  
“Excuse me?!?” Ganondorf replied indignantly, “I have a name!”  
“Which you have neglected to share...” Zelda made a pretty good point, and Ganondorf scowled in response. But if he wanted to get the trust of these people, he probably should share at least that.  
“Fine.” he replied, “It’s Ganondorf. Now what is the plan?”  
“I’m pretty sure we still don’t know...” Madas trailed off, “We can’t let that man get his hands on the keys OR the triforce.”  
“Why don’t we get them then.” Ganondorf said bluntly, “Then we can like unlock it, hide it somewhere else, and then lock it again. That way he wouldn’t know where the keys or the triforce is anymore.”  
Zelda rubbed her head, thinking over their options, “That’s not a terrible idea...” she responded after a while, “I’m just worried about what happens while we’re transporting this.”  
Madas shrugged, “I don’t see any better option. Though, why are you, Ganondorf, so invested all of a sudden?”

“I don’t mind the world, and don’t want it taken over by a power-hungry maniac with god powers, thanks.” He replied rather defensively, crossing his arms, “That’s reason enough, isn’t it?”  
Madas seemed to think for a second before he shrugged, as if accepting the response. The group silently agreed that they should probably get a move on, and the Deity stuck out his hand to help Ganondorf up. The man accepted Madas’ hand and brushed himself off, and the three set out towards the forest, oblivious of how this unlikely adventure would change all their lives forever. And the world.  
Despite all their willingness about getting this done as soon as possible, the trio had forgotten one small, but important thing. Something that only came up during the following evening when Zelda dropped to the ground on her hands and knees, defeated.

...

"We're lost, aren't we?" she asked, her head bowed. "We've been walking without a pause..."  
Ganondorf sat down next to her, legs and arms crossed. He wasn't tired, but he still had a layer of sweat on his face. "I don't know this part of the land," he commented. "I am merely following you."  
Which meant, he was as lost as Zelda. He just didn't want to admit it.  
"We're close to the lost woods," Madas was sitting against a nearby tree. He looked far too much relaxed for being someone that was lost. Or on an important quest that would save the world. "If we don't follow a certain path, we'll just be thrown out and have to restart again. Not fun."  
Zelda sat down and used Ganondorf's huge arm as a support for her back. She spent a minute in silence, mulling about the new information, then looked at the deity with a small smile. "You know a lot. I'm glad you're helping so much even when I asked for an advice."  
Madas looked troubled for a moment and looked away. "I don't know everything," he said. He waved a hand in the air and sighed. "Hylia is the smart one. But I haven't had any contact with her in... a lot of time."  
He looked up at the trees and the few specks of sky he could see through the foliage. It was getting dark, and the temperature was falling. It was always colder within the forests surrounding the Lost Woods.  
"We should set up camp," he said. "Last night we were lucky. I don't plan on pushing that."  
The evening was cold, and the breeze cut into everyone (especially Ganondorf, who wasn’t at all accustomed to this kind of weather). It was probably a good idea to rest for now, but everyone was still on edge. It was probably all around Hyrule now that Madas had kidnaped Zelda or whatever yarn that captain guard guy wanted to spin. Who knows what they were saying about Ganondorf, but he seemed oddly used to this, Madas thought. That guy certainly had his secrets. Zelda was curled in a blanket, looking out of her element but determined, and shivering due to the cold. Ganondorf had bunched his cloak tight around his shoulders. Madas wondered what kind of destiny had put the motley crew that they were together at a time like this. Something seemed at play here, but he didn’t quite know what.


	5. The Place Where Lost Things Go

The morning rose with a dull empty sense of foreboding as the group set off in the direction of these ‘lost woods’, Ganondorf still shivering from the cold night before.  
“What is it with the weather here?!?” He grumbled, “I feel like more of a popsicle than a person....”  
“This is mild!” Madas replied chipperly, “You should see when it really gets cold!”  
“Guh.” was the man’s only response.  
“So Madas,” Zelda interrupted, “What do we do when we get to these lost woods? You mentioned there was a specific way to get through. Do you know it?”  
“I... I think so. I did once at least... I’m sure I’ll remember when we get there.” he replied, suddenly unsure  
“Gee, that instills confidence...” Ganondorf muttered.  
“You are just a bundle of sunshine aren’t you?” Zelda asked, then paused and smiled before continuing, “It’s kind of refreshing to be around someone who says what they think...”  
“Not used to that, are you?” the Gerudo man asked.  
“No...” the princess admitted, “Most people heap praises on me and don’t tell me if I disappointed them and expect the world and beyond, and don’t realize I’m not actually who they’re looking for...”  
“And it’s freaking annoying?” Ganondorf asked, a rare smile playing on his lips. For a second he and the princess met each other’s eyes, suddenly finding a common ground in two vastly different lives, and realizing how much they could be alike. Perhaps, they could grow to be friends, even. Maybe-  
“GREETINGS COMPANIONS, WE HAVE ARRIVED!” Madas declared loudly, “Welcome to the Lost Woods.”  
Ganondorf blinked, surprised at his own thoughts. He and the princess friends? Or maybe more? What was he thinking? There was no way he would be allowed around her when he was outed as the reincarnation of evil. And it would happen eventually, because his luck was just terrible.  
On her part, Zelda felt like when she was a little girl and her mother caught her with her hand into the cookie jar. It made her stiffen and look as far away from Ganondorf as she could and focused her attention onto anything that wasn't him, cursing her rampaging teenage hormones (because after a few years dealing with them, she knew… just knew). There was no way she could feel so friendly towards him... well, maybe, but again, if this was just a normal developing friendship, why the hell was she twisting it towards something else?  
And why was she fussing about it so much? He was a friend. Right? Right?  
She internally cursed her own mind.  
"Well, ain't this... cheery..." Ganondorf quipped, ignorant of what was going through Zelda's head.  
Wherever they were, Madas had led them to a location where the woods looked dark, twisted, and cold. There was a thick mist floating about that entirely blocked out the sun, and a strange sound hanging in the air that neither Zelda, nor Ganondorf, could decipher.  
Madas looked at their surroundings with something akin longing mixed to sadness, but it didn't last long enough for the others to question it. "From this point on, if we get lost, we will be lost forever," he explained. His voice was uncharacteristically soft. "So don't wander."  
As if Zelda wanted to wander. As soon as they resumed walking, following a winding path that only Madas seemed to know, she felt like she was being observed. The part of her that didn't care at all about the image wanted nothing but to scream and cling to the nearest arm. She idly wondered who would be better. Ganondorf's were huge, and could probably lift her with no effort at all, but Madas' were easier to wrap around.  
"This place feels haunted..." Ganondorf muttered. Despite being a huge man and looking like he could face a Molgera and joke about it, he was positively disturbed by the Lost Woods.  
The haunting music that suddenly started playing didn’t help the feeling wafting around the group as thickly as the smoke. It had a bouncy rhythm, that bonked around in your skull and then wormed its way into your skull so you could never ever forget.  
“That’s it!” Madas declared, overly cheerily, “It’s the music! You follow the music!”  
“Gee...” Ganondorf sighed, “That totally doesn’t sound like a recipe for disaster... or what the first victim does in a horror book...”  
Zelda shrugged, it wasn’t like they had any other options. Sadly the least bad option was becoming their most common course of action. So the group stumbled through the forest, vaguely in the direction of the haunting song but along the path that the Fierce Deity set. Eventually, they broke out to a large clearing that was somehow not covered in the mist that blanketed the rest of the forest. A young woman holding a simpler ocarina made out of wood was sitting on a stump, playing the melody. She seemed so absorbed in the song that she didn’t notice the group literally fall over each other into the area.  
Madas forced himself off of Ganondorf and to his feet, pulling out the ocarina of time and playing the same tune, one which he seemed to know by heart. The girl, stunned by the new music, looked up into the Fierce Deity's eyes and her face lit up like she’d discovered sunshine.  
“You’re back!” she exclaimed happily, “And who are these new friends?”  
Madas smiled, but at the same time he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Eh, yes. Kind of? It's been a long time and... I barely remember. Sorry?"  
The girl blinked in surprise, then her mouth drew a small O as something seemed to finally click in her head. "Yes," she said. "It has been a very long time. Far longer than what normal people could live for. I am surprised, however, you can even recall things. It should not be possible."  
Her eyes then lowered to the ocarina he was holding, then back up at his face. "You look so different. I remember you having blue eyes and blond hair." She laughed, and it felt like a melody on its own. "Is this a result of the darkness that clings to you?"  
"In a way," Madas replied. "It's that part of me that I lost a long time ago. But we're not here to remember old times, I'm afraid."  
Before he could elaborate, the girl's smile fell. "I am aware. Already people have tried to cross the Lost Woods in search of the Emerald Key. Another cycle, my friend."  
She cast her gaze onto Madas' two companions and smiled once again. "And now that I look at you better, I think I know who you are. " She didn't look like she was going to elaborate that, however, and Zelda felt somewhat awkward in the presence of the girl that seemed to know Madas. "Maybe this time you can have a happier ending."  
Happier. Such a relative word. And to each of the group, it meant something completely different. Madas dreamed of not being on the run, Zelda of being a normal person (or maybe minor countess), and Ganondorf of simply not being hated. Something so far away and yet somehow it was that hope, for a better world, a better life, that kept all of them going.  
“So what?” Zelda asked, “Are we like a destined trio or something?”  
The strange girl met the princess’s eyes and nodded slowly, “Something like that, I guess.”  
Madas smiled at his two companions, then turned back to the girl, “If the corrupt captain is looking for the triforce, then we must move it. He knows it’s location, or else he wouldn’t bother with the keys. We need the emerald key, old friend.”  
The girls musical laughter echoed all over the clearing as she pointed to another path, leading in a different direction than the one they had cam out of. “That’s beyond me. I can lead you to where you need to be, but it will be up to the Deku Tree to determine your worthiness... and decide if you are trustworthy stewards for the emerald key.”  
“Wheee... from one side of the creepy forest to the other. Mmm, that’s just what I wanted to spend the rest of my day doing.” Ganondorf commented, “Could we at least like, eat or something. I’m not a machine, or a god... I need sustenance”  
The Fierce Deity looked at the larger man, eyes widening a little, then sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, “I’m sorry friend, I neglected to consider that... I guess our pace has been a little.... intense...”  
Zelda burst out laughing, doubling over and collapsing into the grass in a fit of giggles. When she had composed herself, she got up and dusted her now-grass-stained robes off as best she could and managed, “That’s like calling a marathon a ‘light walk’, Madas. We’ve been moving without stop for like, two days.”  
“IF IT WAS THIS MUCH OF A PROBLEM YOU COULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING” he protested loudly, blushing and suddenly looking very much unlike a confident, brave god of war.  
“Hmm,” Ganondorf sighed, looking at his hands, set out in front of him as they were a balanced scale, “Getting brutally murdered by guards...” he lifted one side higher than the other, “Resting....” he lifted the other side higher.  
“Okay, Okay I get the point but we can rest now! These forests are the best defence anyone could think of.”  
The Forest Girl laughed, amused by the group’s camaraderie. “I have some food, if you want to partake. You seem so much... lighter than the last three. I think the world will be safe in your hands!”  
Ganondorf looked down at the grass, suddenly not hungry. The world wouldn’t be safe in his hands, not now not ever. After all, how could the reincarnation of evil ever possibly hope to be any kind of good. He didn’t know what that word meant. It would be better if they got another third, another person who would be able to do better by them. He looked into the deep forest, swirling with the souls of the lost travellers.  
Perhaps, he wondered, It would be better if I were gone, and couldn’t get out or hurt anyone or spread evil. Maybe it would be better if I were lost forever.  
"Why do you worry?"  
The question caught Ganondorf by surprise. He looked up at the strange girl, confused and somewhat curious at to what kind of insanity she would spew next. She looked as if she was sure everything was alright, but something in her eyes screamed 'ancient' to him.  
"He once told me," she continued. "That there is always something worth fighting for. You just have to find it."  
For a moment Ganondorf was utterly lost, and it must have shown on his face because she hid a smile behind her hand. "Madas, I believe he calls himself at the moment." Her eyes became distant and sad, but her kind smile never faded. "He will fight to the end for something he believes to be worth it. If he chose to ignore your darkness, then don't you think you should at least own it up to him by making sure your darkness doesn't get out? The Lost Woods are not as powerful as you think. Demise's hatred can be held back only by a will that cannot be broken."  
There was a cold shiver that ran down the Gerudo's back. She knew. She knew who he was. She knew he was cursed with this thing that called for blood and destruction whenever he was emotionally weak.  
And worst of all, she had implied that Madas, the Fierce Deity, a FREAKING war god, knew too. If not all of it, at least enough to be able to decide what to do with him. "Oh... I..." he muttered, suddenly feeling light headed. He sat down and the world spun a little less.  
"No man, no matter how powerful they are, cannot walk alone." Her voice was back, but it sounded somewhat distant despite her sitting right in front of him. Maybe it was the shock that filled his ears with imaginary cotton. "Not for long, anyway."  
Her smile widened and she giggled lightly, and suddenly the world felt brighter despite everything that had just happened. "You might want to go, or Madas will eat everything. He has a tendency to ransack people's food storages without even realizing it." She waved a hand towards a small opening in the trees. "Just follow the path. I'll be along shortly."  
As that conversation was happening, Zelda and Madas were enjoying a nice meal (their first real one in quite a few days). The princess was suddenly feeling very out of it. So much had happened so quickly, and, for the first time in her life, Zelda was away from her people, her friends, her beloved mentor, Impa. She suddenly felt so very vulnerable, out here, alone, for the first time in her life.  
Perhaps the Fierce Deity sensed some of her pains, because he inched closer towards the princess and smiled, “It will be alright, I know it. And if you want too, if you need to, you can back out at any moment. I understand this is all a lot right now. But I’ve got you! And I’m sure the big lug over there wouldn’t say that, but he probably would too...”  
Zelda laughed a little under her breath. Somehow that made her feel much better. And there it was, her being stupid again. Something about their mysterious companion made her feel secure, despite knowing he had stuff to hide. And his wonderful bluntness. It was nice to finally know that what came out of someone’s mouth was what they thought, and despite it being slightly rude sometimes, she did appreciate it.  
Wait what was she doing!?!? Zelda once again cursed her mind for such stupid thoughts, but still smiled a little at the thought that Madas (who seemed to know everything) thought that Ganondorf had her back. That was fine. After all, friends have each other’s backs. Right?  
As Ganondorf wandered back to where they were sitting, Zelda noticed that he looked shell-shocked or something. Without a word, he sat down and began to eat.  
“Are you alright....?” she ventured  
“No.” he replied but didn’t elaborate. At least he was honest about it though, as he continued, Zelda felt better, “It’ll pass though.”  
“So brave friends, shall we set off? ADVENTURE AWAITS!” Madas declared loudly  
Ganondorf grabbed some of the food and nodded, “I can eat on the way.”  
Zelda stood up at her companions cue, and nodded, determination on her face. She would fix these problems, she would stop the captain, and she would not let her new friends down.  
But the captain would come later. Right now she should focus on their current task (make sure that the keys and the triforce were safe), and once that was done, she could come up with a better solution than running through the wild with two people she had just met.

She looked up at the tall guy, and suddenly realized she had never asked him his name, and that she knew Madas only because he had given it to her. How foolish of her to not even think about doing a proper introduction with the people she was going to be stuck with for a while.  
"I apologize," she said suddenly. Her voice was quiet, but in the silent woods it sounded loud. "We've been traveling for days, and I forgot a proper introduction. I know you already know who I am, but I'd like to..."  
Her voice trailed off as she noticed the curious stares of her two companions, and blushed heavily. The tall man had a raised eyebrow that almost disappeared into his bushy hair, while Madas looked somewhat amused and had a small grin.  
"As you know I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule, but contrary to common belief, I am NOT Hylia reincarnate."  
The Fierce Deity laughed and in that moment he looked like any other kid in the plaza she used to spy on from her castle. He looked happy and carefree. Nothing like a war god should be. "Madas," he said, following Zelda's lead. "Fierce Deity. Supposedly the one that does what Hylia can't do herself, and supposedly the one that gets called whenever the world is in dire need."  
He winked, and Zelda knew that this was not the first time Madas had appeared into the world. Though, she was confused as to why there were no reports of him through Hyrule history. Nor why the Sheikah were the only people worshipping him.  
"I have many names, princess," he continued with a small shrug. "Madas is the more obscure one. If I told you the one written in the books, you'd figure things out immediately. Can't have that happen. Not yet."  
Zelda frowned. "Wait, what? What do you even mean?"  
"It means that you are not ready to hear the truth." Madas took several steps back and grinned. Zelda knew he was toying with her now, and it was frustrating. "One day, you'll know more. And by then, I'm sure, you'll be ready to make the right decision."  
He then turned towards Ganondorf and his grin went from playful to knowing. The tall man shivered and felt like there was a huge beast sinking its claws in his flesh. Now he knew the deity knew for sure at least part of the truth regarding him.  
"I uh..." he cleared his throat and tried to regain a semblance of calmness. "I'm Ganondorf. Nice to meet you."


	6. Echoed Memories

Once their meal was finished, the group set off into the heart of the forest, as the small girl led them through another winding path, this one more overgrown. Somehow, each of the group felt a little better about the lost woods this time. Perhaps it was the fact that someone was leading them who actually for-sure knew what they were doing, or perhaps it was experience with the woods themselves. The walk passed in relative silence, nobody knowing quite what they would face when they got to the other side. Before they had finished, the girl had mentioned that they would be tested by this great Deku tree or whatever. Nobody knew what that meant, and every person was either trying to figure it out of mentally prepare themselves. So, nobody quite realized it when the smog drifted off of the treetops and the light began to penetrate the canopies, and the odd fairy would flit about in the treetops.  
They had arrived.

“The path is safe from here,” the girl commented, “I must return to my temple, and keep it safe.” Then she skipped off without another word.  
“That’s a very big tree.” Ganondorf said, stress starting to get to him and make him spurt out things without thinking how stupid they sounded. The whole area they were standing in was practically blanketed by that one, large canopy. You couldn’t even see the trunk yet, but the group could still tell that this tree was old: old and massive.  
“Yes.” Madas replied simply, memories washing over him of a time long, long ago. Things were so different now. He was so different. But some things always had to stay the same, didn’t they? And somehow he was back here searching for the very same key, ready to start the very same thing for the millionth time. At least he wasn’t flying solo this time... (he’d done that once or twice). He’d like to think that something here was different, that something had changed, but he wasn’t sure quite yet. It had seemed nice like this before. But somehow destiny always found a way to interfere.

“Madas, you seem out of it...” Zelda noted, “Anything to say?” She probably asked knowing full well he wouldn’t say anything. He wouldn’t dare interfere with the wheels of fate like that. He just shook his head in response, and plodded with leaden feet towards the inevitable. This time was hitting him hard, and he wasn’t sure if it was just him being sick of it all, or the fact that he wanted to believe it was different between him and the large man, but experience had made his head question, even if his heart didn’t want to.  
He led them through the village, questioning again if this was the right thing to do. A few children wearing green clothes looked on as the group moved towards the base of the great tree, a mix of curiosity and fear playing in their faces. By the time that they had stepped up to the podium of the Deku Tree, Madas was holding back tears. He didn’t want it to be the same again. He didn’t want to do this again. But it was too late for that.  
“Welcome to the start of your journey.” the Great tree boomed, “Again, I should say for some of you. Are you ready?”  
Madas wanted nothing more than to scream that he was NOT ready. That all he wanted was to live a simple life for once, without worrying that the world would end if he did not act upon his urge to help people. He wanted to turn around and go hide in the highest mountain, or the most remote island the far away ocean could offer.  
Yet, there he was, answering a call that fate had sent him. Again. And without the option of ignoring it.  
"No one is ever ready for what the future has in store," he whispered. "No matter how much you prepare for it. All we can do is fight our hardest to achieve the best outcome possible."  
The Deku Tree hummed, and the deep vibrations he produced shook everything. From the very air they breathed, to the deepest bone in their bodies. "You are far wiser than usual," he said after a while. "And speak with experience. Do tell me. Do you remember?"  
Madas felt nervous all of a sudden and cringed at the words. "Not everything. Most is a blur, but I do remember the... beginning..." He took a deep breath and found enough inner strength to stand up straight. "The wisdom I have is not my own."  
Zelda's interest was flaring like it had never done before. This was turning to be one hell of a confusing conversation, with cryptic words and allusion to past history fired back and forth. And she loved history, especially the one that had been ignored by her people in favor of the one that centered around them and their kingdom. So she decided to be quiet and listen.

"But standing aside was never my... thing," Madas continued. He looked up and stared at Ganondorf with an intensity that seemed to burn the soul. "If there is a small chance of this ending differently, I will take it."  
Ganondorf’s heart skipped a beat as the Deity stared at him, face to face, eye to eye. He knew. There was no doubt about it. And not only did Madas know but had travelled with others like him. And judging from the conversation, that hadn’t gone well. Not. At. All.  
But he didn’t care.  
Why?  
He was a war god, for pete’s sakes. A good army commander takes out threats before they become threats, but Madas wasn’t doing that. He was refusing, refusing the chance to save gosh-knows what for the fragile glimmer of hope that he somehow would be different. But how had he been before? Who had he been before? How could he change his destiny without knowing how to? And why on earth was the man trusting him to do all this?  
“Why?” Ganondorf managed, voice hoarse and quiet.  
“Because,” the war god replied, “You’re different.”  
“OKAY BOYS,” Zelda butted in suddenly, shaking them both out of their... moment, “As much as I completely enjoy the incredibly intense staring contest that’s going on there, I would kindly like to know what the fuck is going on.” 

Ganondorf laughed, a deep rumbling thing that came out of him suddenly and without warning. Perhaps it was the nerves. “I-I’m not quite sure myself, princess...”  
“Yes but you CLEARLY know something I don’t know...” Zelda sniped back, “And I’d like to know what it is.”  
Ganondorf looked at Zelda and then over to the war god, “You have something to tell her- no us- too. Clearly. I’ll spill if you do.”  
Madas opened his mouth and then closed it, unsure. Would telling them only help destiny along, or give them a chance to change it? Either way, he had to make his decision quickly, because he could tell his companion’s patience was waning more and more every second they stared at him with such intense eyes.  
Madas sighed deeply. As much as he was terrified that telling them the truth would only strengthen fate, they had a right to know what they were getting into. Ganondorf seemed aware of his... problem, and also seemed like he was trying his damn best to keep the curse at bay. And Zelda herself, despite being pampered all her life, looked as headstrong and caring as her previous incarnations.  
"Perhaps..." he started, voice quiet but still heavy with a sorrow that felt as ancient as time itself. "Maybe we should find a place to set up camp and take our time with this. My story is... not a light one." He gave a tiny smile, perhaps to try and lift the general mood that had disappeared into the depths of the earth. "And it's nearly night. Again. Fire is another good idea. It's going to be cold."  
Zelda frowned, not pleased in waiting for her answers. But she could understand why Madas had proposed to set up camp. She was tired, after all, and while her belly was filled up nicely, she was ready to sit down and sleep for what felt like several days on a row. "Fine," she muttered. "But once we're set, we're going to talk about... whatever is happening."  
The Fierce Deity nodded in agreement, then sighed and looked up at the sky. His memories of the Lost Woods were sketchy at the most, and while he remembered the little house in the village, he refused to use it. There was no way he was going to walk into a place where he would be reminded of things he knew would be bittersweet at best.  
And he was done with that.  
"I think there's a small clearing in the back," he murmured more to himself than to the others. "We can set down there."  
Zelda took the offering with open arms and yanked the deity's arm into the supposedly indicated 'back' of this place. Maybe once she would have paled and freaked out at the idea of manhandling a god the way she was doing now, but Madas... well, she couldn't exactly explain it, but the more she spent time with him, the less she saw him as a divinity.  
"I wish you luck," the Deku Tree spoke from above them. "May you be successful in what you set out to do."

Madas had every intention of telling them something... maybe not quite everything... but something, at least.They set up camp, started a fire, and Madas was ready to recount his something. But sleep claimed the foot-weary travellers quickly and before he could get a word in edgewise, the group was asleep. That was odd. He’d expected the Princess, at least, to stay awake. She seemed to want to hear what the two men had to say. He took a gulp of air and found it to have a slight... taste...  
That was odd. Really odd. Again something that was...  
He didn’t even feel his head hit the bedroll.

…

When Madas opened his eyes, everything was flame. Ashes drifted down from the sky into his fingertips and the empty husk of some poor person lay burning off into the distance. He looked around, desperate for some sign of life, some sign this wasn’t reality. But those burnt-out houses looked familiar, and that…. Oh.  
Oh no. The Great Deku Tree stood in the centre of it all, burning like a bonfire, mouthing two words down unto the Deity. You failed .... you failed you. failed.  
He ran towards the base of the tree, floundering, desperate to do something, anything, to stop this,.. what had happened... how could this happen?!? When he reached the burning base of the tree, the captain was holding the bodies of ... oh, gods... it was Zelda, and... the forest girl who had guided them. Purple energy crackled in the captain’s fingertips... energy ripped from the chest of a large Gerudo man who was lying prone under the cackling captain’s boot.  
Madas reached for a sword, but found it stained with blood, broken, and worthless. Just. Like. Him. Utterly useless. He looked at the burning ashes of the world, and let out a scream, while the world shattered around him.

…

Zelda opened her eyes, blinking. She was sitting in the royal throne room, surrounded by an entourage of her adoring people. How had she gotten here, she didn’t quite know. They gathered around her, ready to throw praises or petitions- no, those grey lumpy objects weren’t petitions or praises.  
“Pretender!” the people yelled, “False Deity! You took advantage of our belief for your own personal gain! You lied like the filthy liar fake goddess you are!”  
“No that’s not it I didn’t-“  
As the rocks hit her soft flesh and blood clouded her vision, Zelda let out an unearthly howl. Then she closed her eyes slowly and whispered, “Not yet.” “This hasn’t happened yet”  
She threw out her arms and the world was whisked away.

…

Ganondorf opened his eyes last, set in a dream world of his own nightmares. He was standing face-to-face with himself, but a warped and twisted version, coated in crimson and ringed with the spoils of conquering... conquering a world.  
He looked for a second, doubt clouding his vision, before touching his chest. “I’m not this.” he whispered softly, “Not yet.” he looked into the twisted mirror and threw his fist against it, shattering the glass, “My will has not been broken... yet.” he said, sadness clouding his voice.

The world drifted away like a strand of fragile silk, and Ganondorf awoke, gasping. Zelda, also, slowly opened her eyes, tears beginning to form in them. Ganondorf nodded to her, supporting without words. Yes, the nod said, I got it too. Both companions, now awake after having faced one of their greatest demons, turned to the last of their companions.  
Madas was frothing at the mouth, twitching, eyes white as chalk, screaming at the top of his lungs.  
“Gods.” Zelda murmured softly, “What is he seeing?”  
Ganondorf got up and moved over to the war god, shaking him violently. Snapping him out of it. And when Madas finally opened his eyes- for real this time- he began shaking, and fell into the larger man’s chest, sobbing.  
As soon as she figured out that what she had seen had been nothing more than her worst fears, Zelda was able to calm down. Her heart still beat fast, and her hands were still shaking, but her mind was slowly reassuring itself that the reality of the nightmare was not her reality.  
Ganondorf was next. Having fought with the beast hidden within himself, he was used to that kind of nightmares. Getting over it, however, did not mean that he was not worried. This vision had been strong. Stronger than any past nightmare he had, and too detailed to be one.  
"This was... not normal..." The large man looked down and cringed upon seeing the effect the visions had on Madas. Whatever he had seen, it must have been hundreds of times worse than what he or Zelda had seen. "I don't even remember falling asleep."  
The deity was curled on himself, making himself as small as possible, and shaking with barely hidden sobs. He was muttering something under his breath, but the words were lost due to the strangely loud woods and his arms firmly pressed around his head.  
Which made Ganondorf lost and uncomfortable. He was used to people shunning him and being alone all the time, so having a person seek comfort from him (even if just because he was the closest one) was something he had no idea how to deal with.  
"Uhhh... here..." he muttered weakly as he grabbed Zelda by the arm and yanked her towards him. "I'm sure you know... how to do this thing?"  
A moment later the princess found herself sitting there, stunned, and with a distraught deity clinging desperately onto her. She could feel him shake, could hear his mutterings, and she could not ignore how unnaturally cold he was.  
"You are right." She turned her eyes onto Ganondorf and grimaced. "Whatever it was, it was not natural, and it got him more than it got us. I think he'll be fine, but it'll take some time."  
While she spoke, she was rubbing circles on his back with a hand. Just like Impa used to do when she was a little girl and she would cry over people not listening to her. It always worked, so she hoped that doing so would calm him down too.  
"Not again...." Madas muttered after a while, confirming that Zelda had the right idea. "Will not happen again. I will not let it happen again."  
“It’s alright.” Zelda whispered, soft and low, “It was only a dream... you’re fine, you’ll be fine...”  
Madas slowly relaxed, slumping into her and drifting into a real- and dreamless- slumber. He seemed more relaxed. And perhaps this is exactly what he needed. Zelda slowly pushed the sleeping god off of herself, laying him down to a soft bedroll and tucked him under a blanket, because he was shivering. Whether that was aftereffects of whatever he saw or the cold, she didn’t know. But she didn’t want to take any chances.  
“Is he okay?” Ganondorf ventured softly, not wanting to disturb Madas’ fragile slumber.  
“I think so...” Zelda scowled, “What was with that, though, you practically threw him at me....”  
“I don’t know how to be... comforting.” Ganondorf threw up his hands in exasperation.  
“But haven’t you had anyone to comfort you? Certainly you must know something of comfort?” Zelda inquired, tilting her head.  
“Yes and no.... my mother, for a little while. But that didn’t last long...” Suddenly the Gerudo man’s eyes got very cloudy and distant.  
“I’m sorry.” Zelda said, putting a hand on the big man’s shoulder, “What did you see in there?”  
“Myself.” He replied, the cloudiness increasing in his eyes.  
“I saw my people,” Zelda said soft and low, “They were calling me a fake and saying I took advantage of them and throwing rocks at me...” she turned up to face Ganondorf, “Everyone has their own demons, I guess. I don’t need to know yours, and I’m sorry for pushing earlier. Look what that all caused...” She sighed and bunched her knees in her hands.  
“No, this was something different, not you.” Ganondorf stated.  
“But if I wouldn’t have brought everything up, though... I guess that it was this place more than anything, still even though I know rationally that it wasn’t my fault I still feel responsible, for all this, for dragging you in.”  
Ganondorf shook his head, setting his jaw and glanced back at the princess, opening and closing his mouth a few times before eventually blurting out, “I have Demise’s Hatred inside me, princess. I was getting dragged into this sooner or later.”  
Zelda looked up at the man and felt like the world had suddenly gone very surreal. "Eh?" It was a very stupid reaction, she knew, especially with the kind of stupid expression she must be wearing right now, but she just couldn't help it. Of all the people she would end up dragging into this mess, it was the one she was desperately trying to either avoid or hope didn't exist.  
"I... ahh..." Ganondorf tried to curl into himself and look as small as his huge body could let him. This was getting even more awkward now. "Yeah... funny how things can go at times..."  
It was like no matter how much they tried, fate would still play a hand in their lives. And throw them into this absurd adventure within less than a day of them 'casually' meeting. Though, she did wonder, was that really a casual meeting?  
Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened once again, but all that came out was a little squeak that was so un-ladylike her ancestors would be rolling in their graves. "Considering the things that have happened recently," she started, voice barely above a whisper, "You're not joking over this."  
Ganondorf decided that once his big secret was out, he might as well blurt out everything. "Look, as much as people want to make me as a bloodthirsty demon ready to throw the entire world into darkness, I am not that thing. Demise's hatred... it whisper to me, it tells me to be this... thing I don't want to... and sometimes I can't help being a bit... harsh, but all I ever wanted was a home to call my own. My people took that away from me."  
"He said you were different," Zelda whispered. One of her hands had gone to her mouth to cover it. "Is this what he meant? Different from... all the other ones?"  
The huge man gave a helpless shrug. "I would like to think that, princess." He stood up and looked around at the darkening forest around them. Not a single leaf was moving, making it even more eerie than it had been before. "But... I don't think this is the right time to discuss this... if there is something out there that can do this to a god, then..."  
Zelda steeled her nerves and looked down at the deity. Ganondorf was right. Of the three of them, Madas positively felt stronger, and with him so out of commission, they might be sitting ducks if this enemy decided to attack again.  
Still, she couldn't help wonder. "What do you think he saw?"  
“I don’t know, princess. I don’t know.”  
Zelda nodded slowly, lost in her own thoughts, then suddenly blurted, “Do you think something did this?”  
Ganondorf rubbed his bushy brows and replied, “I’m not sure... the Deku tree WAS supposed to ‘test’ us or whatever, but this seems too cruel to be a test. Are you thinking there may be some force or creature after us? Perhaps one aligned with the captain?”  
“I would hope not...” Zelda trailed off, “But we must be ready for the possibility. How well can you fight?”  
Ganondorf laughed, a smile blossoming over his face, “I’ve gotten out of quite a few scrapes thanks to brute force and skill, so I’d say pretty well... yourself?”  
Zelda smiled. Why was it so easy for this man to make her forget all about what had just happened and everything that was happening? “Impa taught me some of the techniques of the Sheikah, so I know a bit. I would say I could fight in a pinch. But protecting Madas will be the tricky part... he’s still out cold.”  
Ganondorf frowned at their slumbering companion. Nobody wanted to wake him after the apparent ordeal, but they didn’t want to have to compensate for him being completely prone.  
“Gimme a minute.” Ganondorf interjected suddenly, then under his breath muttered, “He’s going to hate me for this...” He walked away to a small stream that was on the outskirts of the woods, and came back with a bucket filled with it’s icy-cold water.  
“You’re not...” Zelda gasped in disbelief, giggling.  
Ganondorf just grinned at the princess as he proceeded to dump the contents of the bucket on the Deity’s head. “GAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” Madas gasped as he bolted stark upright, eyes wide with shock. “WhatwhereamIwhatsgoingon...” he looked around slowly, processing his surroundings, and, making eye contact with Ganondorf holding the bucket. However, to evryone’s surprise, he didn’t get mad or angry or anything. He just smiled. “You guys are okay...” looking over at Zelda, he managed a bit more of a twinkle in his eye, “You’re both okay.” Breathing a sigh of relief and letting go the false images he had seen, Madas regained his composure.  
“So what’s going on?” he asked.  
Zelda looked at Ganondorf, then turned her eyes back onto Madas. "We... don't exactly know," she said. "Whatever, or whoever, did this is... powerful if they got you that bad."  
The Fierce Deity sighed deep and long, wishing he was somewhere else and doing something less stressful. But he also knew that it was perfectly normal for him to be involved in things when the cycle was up and running again. Part of him resented Hylia and Demise for this. The other part resented himself for willingly going along.  
But he was also known for being very stubborn and pushing through any kind of hardship if it meant keeping the world from decaying into an ever ending darkness. He sighed. It was time to tell them.  
Time to give them the truth.


	7. Everyone Has Their Curses

"I'm sure you know the Creation Myth," he started once the silence was becoming too much. "How Din formed the earth, Farore filled it with life, and Nayru gave order?"  
His two companions looked surprised at the sudden change of topic, but where intrigued nonetheless. The Creation Myth was a widespread story through all the races of Hyrule with no differences at all, and if Madas was bringing it up, it meant that he was going to share something important.  
"What you don't know is that once they left, three other gods appeared." The deity looked into the distance with a tired expression as he recalled everything he could. "Hylia, the white goddess, patron of Hyrule. Madas, the Fierce Deity, guardian of all life. And, you won't believe this, Demise. He used to be a decent guy before..."  
He stopped and chuckled. It was times like these he hated remembering. The cycle had always been harsh on him, sending him into the worst of adventures regardless of his age at the moment. There was that time he had been just a kid, and while he didn't remember everything, he still remembered that it had been downright traumatizing.  
"They never saw eye to eye. Their view on governing the world were too different from each other. Hylia wanted to rule with knowledge and have every one on equal ground. No kings, no rulers among men, no lead. All would cooperate for the betterment of their society. A nice idea, but I'm sure you know that such an ideal world could never be achieved when there are people that crave more than what they truly need."  
Ganondorf crossed his arms and shivered. He didn't know this story, but there was something in it that felt familiar and stirred the curse embed into his soul. It was a weird feeling, but not exactly bad. "Thus is the nature of man," he said softly, looking down at the ground with a frown. "Greed is one of the reasons why Hylia's utopia could never come to life."  
Madas nodded and a tiny smile appeared on his lips. "Demise knew that. He knew that people needed a strong ruler to keep them from falling into utter chaos and ruin what the three Golden Goddesses created. Still, his own vision was not a moderated one. He wished for the strong to rule with an iron fist over the weak, giving the first privileges while letting the latter die if they couldn't provide for themselves with their own strength."  
"That's just wrong!" Zelda's frown was a deep one. She was crossing her arms too and looked strangely offended. "A world like that would only fall into ruin, with only a handful of people living good lives while all the others suffer!"  
"Demise and Hylia were both right and wrong," Madas looked at the other two with sadness. "Unfortunately, they were so focused on their ideas to be right that they never sat down and discussed things. Instead, sometime down the line, they started to... fight it out. I was never there to see it myself, but I think at first it was just verbal, then it escalated to physical battles until war broke out and mortals were involved. Most sided with Hylia and her protection, but there were several that sided with Demise and the demons he called forth from the darkest recesses of the world."  
Once the deity fell silent, no one dared to talk. To think that Demise had been a god at the beginning was akin blasphemy. If anyone back in the city got winds of this story, they would go onto a mad search for the perpetrator and hang him in the city square.  
"What about you..?" Zelda asked. Her eyes shone with a curiosity only born from a bright mind. "Where do you fit in all this?"  
Madas's smile fell and in that moment Zelda had the impression that this was how the war god was supposed to be normally. Stoic and aloof, giving off this feeling of being ancient despite his features being that of a youth in his twenties, and looking like a sturdy rock to lean upon when in need.  
"I tried to stop them. Make them see that fighting was not the right way of solving things," he replied quietly. "But it was too late. Demise's hatred towards Hylia became too powerful, twisting him into the Demon King. Hylia was still herself, but her belief in her ways blinded her. Sometimes I would fight for Hylia in protecting the innocents, but most of the time I would come in and make sure the battles would not start at all, or keep them contained if there was no other option."  
Which meant that Madas had been a third party, independent and free to take whatever decision would ensure the least damage to the land and those wishing to not partake in the war. It also meant that he probably had killed both demons and mortals alike and had gained his war god status because of that.  
"Later on, somehow, a demon in Demise's ranks came up with a plan. As a result of that, my powers, my divinity, my everything was torn away from me and sealed into an object. All that was left was a soul trapped into a now mortal body. That day, princess, I was killed."  
The Deity looked down, “Meanwhile Hylia was coming up with a plan to finally win against her enemy. She used some of the residual power of Din, Naryu, and Faore to bind a girl (whom she blessed with a fraction of her own power, to reappear in a different incarnation whenever was required to fight against the forces of ‘evil’) to their divine trinity, the triforce.” He paused, swallowing hard and looking at the ground. Zelda put a hand on his shoulder and nodded and Madas looked up to meet her eyes, then continued, “Demise, however, learned of her plan and managed to burst in upon her as she conducted the ceremony. However, unable to stop it, he instead decided to add a fraction of his own power into another one of the triangles, creating for himself, too, a mortal conduit that would rise to battle Hylia’s chosen every time it was required.” Madas looked at Ganondorf and managed a sad smile. This last part would be the hardest.   
“However, the triforce required a third- a mediator of sorts... a third party. And as my broken and mortal body was slaughtered upon the battlefield, the trinity grabbed my spirit and made me its third, doomed to repeat the cycle, doomed to be the only one who remembers.”  
“Wow.” Zelda said, “That’s a lot to take in.”   
Ganondorf furrowed his brows, “So you’re saying that we’re this ‘cycle’? That we’re the next incarnations of those divine conduits? That we’re supposed to inherit and continue this damn stupid war?!?!?”   
Madas smiled, “Hopefully not, that’s what I always try to prevent. One day, I believe, Hylia’s conduit and Demise’s may finally see eye to eye... and then perhaps the deities themselves can learn from the peace that would be made.”  
Zelda smiled also, “That would be wonderful! I want to make this better world, to stop the polarization and the picking sides and get the best of both worlds! I want this to be different!”  
Ganondorf just looked down, “How many times have you tried this, Madas?”   
“I-I do not remember...” the war god spluttered, “So many... too many...”   
“How many times have you succeeded?”  
“I haven’t yet.”  
“That’s what I thought.” Ganondorf just looked very sad.  
“But we can still try, can’t we?” Zelda defiantly asserted, “Giving up just means that we’ve already lost. A small chance is better than none!”  
“You haven’t lived in the world I have, princess. Seen the hate on the streets. Seen people stoned for merely being accused of sympathizing with a follower of Demise. My own people were ready to murder their first king in 1000 years as a baby because they suspected what I had inside of me.” Ganondorf crossed his arms, “Even if we want to change, I’m not sure the world will let us.”  
"I'll make them listen then," Zelda rebutted, crossing her arms and mirroring Ganondorf's stance. "I'll make them understand."  
The huge man snorted at the absurdity of her statement. "Princess, those people back at the castle are too busy shouting their praise to Hylia to listen to you. And the moment they realize you're not a goddess, but a 'mere conduit'? You'll be lucky if you'll just be imprisoned due to blasphemy."  
Zelda cringed and suddenly felt that all her hopes were being crushed to fine dust by reality. Ganondorf was right. There wasn't much that could be done if people just didn't listen. Heck, even her father just went on a rant about the holy position she had as the goddess reincarnated rather than listen to his own daughter.  
"What..." she took a deep breath and let it out slowly to maintain her composure. "What should we do then?"  
"Small steps." Madas was up and stretching. Now that his story was out in the open, he looked less troubled and a lot more like the person Zelda had seen walk out of that portal. "The most important thing now is to stop that captain guy from getting his hands on the keys and the triforce. Then we can think about the rest."  
Ganondorf brought a hand to his chin and hummed. "He sent us to fetch the keys for him. Wouldn't leave them where they are be a better option?" He was not as knowledgeable as the princess, or had as much experience as Madas to draw upon, but he was no idiot either. "Collecting the keys would only favor his plan."  
"True. But it's also true that he might be able to find the keys on his own given time." Madas took out the Emerald Key from his pocket and looked at the green gem imbedded into it. "The Deku Tree and the Kokiri can only do so much to defend it." His expression then darkened to a point that he looked as if he was angry. "The visions we had... they might be of a possible future, and if that is true, then it is best the key leaves this place."  
He was not letting the forest get burned down, nor he was letting his companions get killed. Not when they were finally willing to talk things out rather than being at each other's throat.  
“That’s fair. But what I want to know is when exactly you got that key...” Ganondorf replied, confused, “Did I miss something?!?!?!”   
Madas suddenly looked at the key sitting in his fingertips, “I-I don’t remember getting this either, now that you mention it...” He stared at the key with a growing intensity and curiosity, “I think it just appeared in my pocket after those... dream things...”  
Zelda scowled, “So were those some kind of twisted test to see if we were ‘worthy’ of the key or whatever junk?!?! Number one, that’s been done before, and number two, what the actual heck. If that was a test, it was a cruel and unneeded one.”  
Ganondorf looked more closely at the key, blowing on it, causing a poof of shiny particles to come off of it, “No... this is from a fairy. I think the forest is trusting us with this. Those dreams were something else.”   
Madas’ eyes widened, as he looked at the small key. All the people of the forest were trusting them. He wasn’t sure he deserved that trust, but he would do his very best to make sure they didn’t let the forest peoples down. If he had any say in anything the forest would not get burned down.   
“Let’s go, then.” Madas declared, “We have work to do, friends.”  
Zelda was quick in following the deity. She had nothing against the forest, or its people, or even the large sentient three, but there was something in it that made her skin crawl. Maybe she just wasn't a forest person, or maybe she was just too used to living inside a castle, or maybe it was just her nerves finally going haywire after her weird nightmare. It didn't matter what it was, she was ready to leave.  
"You know, I'm worried about Impa," she said after they left the clearing and nothing but trees surrounded them. "We lost track of her at the river and..."  
She knew Impa could take care of herself, or she wouldn't have been her personal guard to begin with, but she couldn't help but worry about the Sheikah woman's wellbeing and whereabouts. The last thing she wanted was for her to be imprisoned and blamed for some idiotic reason that only the people at the castle thought was important.  
"We can stop by Kakariko if you want." Madas' smile was back onto his lips, and the deity looked so much better with it. "It's not too much of a deviation from the road to Death Mountain anyway. And... I really need to visit Granma. She's going to kill me if I don't..."  
Ganondorf raised an eyebrow but decided not to comment. As the group set off, they bid farewell to the forest and their gracious hosts, setting off. Madas held the emerald key. It was only fitting. After all, the forest people had given it to him, so why not let him keep it? 

As they travelled back through the lost woods (they had decided it was the safest and most inconspicuous route, after all, they didn’t want to drag the forest people into this). When they arrived at the clearing where they had found the girl earlier, a strange mist hung in the air. Not to mention, the girl herself was slumped on a rock, twitching much like Madas had earlier. Madas rushed over to her, shaking her shoulders and looking desperately at his companions. “Whatever got us got to her too...” he whispered, “And judging from the weird misty stuff, I’d say it’s still here.”   
Ganondorf nodded and tied a handkerchief over his mouth and nose. Hopefully it would offer some protection against that misty stuff. He didn’t need to see his evil-corrupted self again today. He pulled out another one (you always needed spares in the desert in a sandstorm) and offered it to the Princess.   
“Thanks.” Zelda accepted it graciously, tying it also over her mouth and nose. “Madas, you should be the one to wake her up. We don’t know what she’s seeing and the only one of us she knows well is you...”  
Madas was still rubbing the girl’s shoulders, trying to get her back into the realm of reality. He nodded at the princess’s comment, agreeing with her judgement and looking hecka worried for his old friend.   
A puff of the dream-mist came out of the door of a yawning, moss-covered temple that the group hadn’t noticed earlier. A wailing, keening sound followed it. Zelda put her hand over her mouth trying to provide an extra layer of protection against seeing her worst nightmare again. 

This was surely the creature that had attacked them before.

“Looks like we’re in for a fight...” Zelda muttered  
At that moment, the girl woke up with a loud gasp. She looked confused for several long moments, then her eyes focused onto the deity trying to comfort her from whatever horrid vision she had seen. "Link..?" she muttered. "Is that you, Link?"  
Madas cringed upon hearing that name. "Yes and no." He helped the girl sit up and made sure she wouldn't topple to the ground due to dizziness. "The Link you knew has... died. I have some of his memories, but I am not him. Not entirely."  
"No matter what you think, Link." The girl looked sure in her belief. "You may not remember all, but you have the same soul and the same drive to help people. Therefore, you are the same person. But this discussion can wait."  
She stood up on unsteady feet and turned around to face the entrance of the temple. The mist that came from it felt unnatural, far different from the one that usually lingered on the forest's floor everyday, and had an underlying feeling of malice to it.  
"A beast has infiltrated the temple, and its corruption is quickly spreading through the forest." The girl turned her eyes to the deity, her expression a mask of worry. "If it is not stopped, then the Lost Woods will be truly lost."  
Ganondorf clenched his fists. He could feel it. He could feel the... evil lurking within the temple and calling to the curse lodged into his soul. In turn, Demise's hatred was rejoicing, pushing at his mind in a desperate attempt to break free and corrupt him into doing things he never wished to do.  
This, the Gerudo man knew, was going to be not just a battle of strength and skill, but also a battle of wills between him and the Demon King's curse.  
And with that thought, Ganondorf followed Madas, who had bolted into the temple. He was fairly certain that dude was crazy, but he was a war god, so if he wanted to be with anyone in a creepy temple, it was him.   
“We’re just all bolting headlong in, then?” Zelda commented before quickly joining them, “I would say you guys are stupid, but what would that make me?” She sighed, “Though I suppose we owe it to the people of this forest...”   
Madas smiled, nodded, and put a finger over his lips. It was time to be quiet. Who knew what stuff was lurking in this temple, after all? Plus, this place was making her power crawl in her skin. Clearly this place was stinking with Demise’s energy. She wondered how Ganondorf was doing, or if this was affecting him at all. Perhaps while it weakened her, it made him stronger? But maybe it made the thing inside him that he had spoken of stronger, not his actual self... This was all making her head hurt but at the same time, giving her something, a problem, to focus on other than the fact they were running blindly towards a poison monster.   
“Wait.” Zelda said, stopping suddenly, “Does anyone other than Madas actually have a weapon?”  
Madas shrugged, looking at his sword and then at Ganondorf, who shook his head, “I think there’s bound to be a weapon or two around here somewhere, there always is in these old temples. Maybe we should look for some before we go any deeper...”

Zelda was quite ready to slam her head against the wall. She sighed and took one of the side passages, running her fingers along the walls and looking up and down for... oh wait.... Was that a chest on a ledge high above her head? She looked up, noticing the large vines that crawled over the precipice and down to where she was standing. Hmm... Zelda wondered Would those hold my weight?  
She jumped on to one of them, grabbing the large stalk a little bit above the ground. When it didn’t immediately drop her, Zelda began to shimmy up the vine, gradually working her way up the stonework.   
“Zelda?” Ganondorf asked, joining her in the room, “What are you doing?”   
“Don’t ask!” she sniped back, “I need to concentrate!”   
She continued her ascent, switching to another vine that went further up the wall, and used the hard stalks to propel herself further upwards. Eventually, she swung herself into the alcove where the chest lay.   
“Heads!” she yelled down to Ganondorf, kicking the heavy object so that it flew off of the wall and down unto the floor. A scream and Gerudo curse let her know that the large man didn’t get conked unconscious, so she pulled on the vine she’d used going up, and swung herself over the edge. What she didn’t know was that the chest had been stabilizing the vine, adding extra support and anchoring it further into the alcove. Without that support, the old vine cracked and gave way when the princess put her full weight on it. She tried to grab one of the other vines with flailing arms as she plummeted, but it only gave her a serious rash on both her palms. Zelda panicked, trying to do something, anything to stop this. She hasn’t lived all this life to die now in the stupidest way from a falling vine…  
She fell with a loud whuff into something soft and cushiony. Wait, that was all wrong. Stone wasn’t soft and... “You should be more careful, princess.” Ganondorf commented, looking down at her, “I almost didn’t catch you...”   
At times like this, the Gerudo man’s eyes looked so soft and kind, despite everything that he had surely been through. “Well you did.”   
They stared at each other for a long second. Zelda let a small smile come to her lips. Ganondorf returned it, a rare, truly joyful smile playing on his mouth.   
“Well isn’t this nice.” Madas commented from the doorway.   
Ganondorf practically jumped out of his skin, and hastily set the princess down, rubbing the back of his neck and mumbling apologies. She didn’t know the man could blush.   
Madas barked a laugh, suddenly looking light as a feather, and glanced at the broken chest. “Well, I’m not sure I want to know what mischief you two got up to, but looks like you found some weapons... and while you were doing... whatever this is... I figured out where the beast is.”   
It was Zelda’s turn to blush. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what Madas thought was going on. She rifled through the broken pieces of the chest and selected a long staff. It was time to go fight a monster. Weirdly she didn’t feel scared. After all, she had her first true friends of her life by her side.  
Ganondorf looked sideways, scanning the area for something he could use. A weapon. His eyes came to rest on a sword buried in the stone of the wall. He stuck his hand out without thinking, feeling something at the back of his mind as he grabbed the hilt. It felt strangely right. He felt strangely pulled to this blade. It was strange, but he thought nothing of it. Or the fact the voice within him had suddenly grown quiet. He really should have. 

After the few first rooms and the random chest Zelda had found, the temple became a confusing maze of corridors and stairs that looked way too similar to each other for comfort. And it was quiet to the point that the three could hear a needle drop from several meters away.  
"So..." Zelda whispered, hoping that her voice was not too loud in the silence. The last thing she wanted was to declare their current location to whatever monster was lurking in those halls. "She called you Link. Is that your name? I mean... you said Madas wasn't your real name?"  
The Fierce Deity chuckled as he moved some vines out of the way. "Madas is the name of me as a deity," he explained. Despite the topic, he looked serene. "Link... Link is the name I have as a mortal. When... when I don't wear this face... that's who I am. Always. No matter where or when I am born, or in what social class. They always give me this name."  
Zelda stifled a gasp. It was like with her and every other princess of Hyrule, who shared not only the name, but also the divine powers. The only difference was that she was a different person from the others, while Madas was always the same one, just reborn into a different family and time.  
Before she could could give any form of comfort, however, Madas turned around and showed his bright smile to indicate that he really wasn't bothered by the cycle, that he had grown used to the continuous death and rebirth curse the other two gods had unwittingly forced onto him. "Link gives me the chance to walk among the people unnoticed." He traced one of the red marks on his face with a finger. "And maybe find a normal life once I'm done with whatever crisis is currently hanging over Hyrule. Though that rarely happens."  
He winked, gave one last smile, then turned back to the dark corridor ahead. That left Zelda alone with Ganondorf, and when she looked up at the man she noticed that he was as troubled as she was, and now holding a sword. "I don't know what's worse," he whispered to her. "My curse, or his."  
The princess would have loved to further expand on the topic, but her thoughts were halted when an horrifying screech echoed from the darkness. It made her skin crawl, and she found herself stepping a little bit closer to the huge man in search of safety and comfort.  
"Well," Madas declared as he grabbed his strange- and huge- sword from its place on his back. The look he had on his face was that of pure determination, and his stance really brought out the war god in him. "Looks like we found our monster. You can stay back if you wish."  
“No.” Zelda stated, determination written on every line of her face, “We do this together.”  
Ganondorf nodded, feeling the beast inside him crawl under his skin, digging its claws into his brain with every breath. It wasn’t a good feeling. But he knew he had to face this at some point. It would be best to do it around people who could keep him grounded. People who shared struggles. Shared curses, though each bore a different one. Zelda nodded to him, as if reading his thoughts and he managed a small nod back. Madas looked worried. So they lingered in the doorway for a few moments, the air becoming still before they stepped any further. They would be tested, their bonds, their wills… they would be tested today.


	8. Something New

As they stepped inside the huge antechamber, they were confronted with the beast. It was a humongous, overgrown plant sprouting four large heads (any of which looked like it was sufficient to swallow the group whole), spikes ran up and down the vines that connected to a large inner bulb.   
“Someone used too much fertilizer...” Ganondorf commented, attempting to lighten the mood.   
One of the heads must have heard his comment (or just sensed his general presence) because it snapped up to meet him, settling itself right at his eye level.   
“Hello, Lord.” it hissed, “He told me you were being difficult this time. I aim to fix that.”   
Ganondorf cringed, not wanting to know what the creature meant by ‘fixing it’. It certainly couldn’t be anything good. Somehow, his hand suddenly felt numb, and he couldn’t bring himself to draw the weapon he had grabbed from the temple. He felt almost... hijacked. The creature laughed, not noticing Madas vault himself onto the head and drive his sword through the top with a loud crunch. 

Suddenly, Ganondorf felt like himself again.   
“Are you good?” The war god asked, jumping back on the platform as the head fell lifelessly to the ground far below. “You can sit this out, if you need to...”   
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Ganondorf lied, “Just a little shell-shocked.”   
Zelda peered over the precipice, narrowly dodging a barrage of seeds. Pulling her head back quickly, she gasped and the commented, “I think the middle part is the most vulnerable... it looks very squishy. And it’s also protected by all the heads and spikes... Also, WHAT KIND OF PLANT HAS THAT MANY SEEDS!”   
“An evil one.” Madas said stoically.  
Ganondorf just burst out laughing, despite everything, “I can’t believe you said that with a straight face...” He wiped tears from his eyes, “Maybe I should just jump down there and stab it...”  
“WHAT?!?!?” Madas screeched, “THATS A TERRIBLE IDEA!”  
“Think about it,” Ganondorf replied, “It’s not going to kill me, considering, so if anyone has a chance of actually making it down there and getting the squishy part it’s me.”   
“You can’t do this by yourself, just think about this...” Madas begged, suddenly looking very upset.   
But Ganondorf felt he needed to. Felt he had to. Felt responsible. And somehow drawn to it.  
Ganondorf pulled out his weapon, and slipped off the edge, spinning the large broadsword around him, cutting the stalks as they made a halfhearted attempt to stop him. He twisted the point down and drove it straight into the center, all his momentum and power going straight into the creature’s heart.  
“Good job, Lord...” was its last words.   
Good job?!? Ganondorf wondered, looking at the head that had spoken. Suddenly he felt something inky crawling over his hands, something black and dark coming straight from the creature’s heart. Suddenly, something inside him cringed. The thing hadn’t fought him when he did this. But why would it want its own agent dead?!? There was no good reason. Not unless... unless this was all a trap. Unless he’d just made a terrible mistake. 

The tendrils pinning his arms opened to a yawning vortex, revealing a copy of the creature, but dark and twisted. Stronger. “We need to talk, Lord.” it whispered, it’s voice low and croaky. The tendrils engulfed him, pushing into his mouth and lungs and pulling him... oh no. He knew this place. It was Demise’s stronghold on this world. And he’d just helped this creature bring him straight there. With a last gasp, he tried to fight. Tried to get away from this inevitable pull, but he couldn’t. So he went limp, body failing as the creature slowly dragged him to that evil place. He thought he could dimly hear his companions screaming.  
Once released, Ganondorf stood up and looked around. He had never set foot in that place, not for real anyway. Just dreamed it enough times and with enough clarity that it felt as if he had visited the dark wasteland personally.   
He clenched his fists in anger, berating himself for not having listened to the guy that obviously had far more experience than anyone could ever imagine to have. If he ever got out of that situation with his sanity intact, he was sure to at least listen to advices before jumping into things headfirst and cause nothing but troubles for the others.  
"Come..." A voice whispered from behind him.   
Ganondorf knew there was no one there, that the voice only appeared to be behind him, that it really was inside his head. He knew he should not follow, that it was a trap, that it would only spell doom for him. But maybe... just maybe... they would listen to their 'lord' and let him leave without first killing an innocent or whatever else they had in mind for him.  
Dark ceremonies and sacrifices in his name were something he didn't enjoy. At all.  
"Madas," he whispered, hoping that his voice could reach the god. "If you have any bright ideas, let me know."  
The voice chuckled, a deep, rumbling thing that seemed to echo through the air like a death march, “That foolish shell of a god can’t help you now. This isn’t his realm, it’s mine... And it may be yours, too. If you decide to start cooperating, that is. You will. You will come home to me.”   
Ganondorf drew his sword, whirling around. He just needed to feel like he was doing something, anything. The whisper inside him laughed, “You are a fool drawing my own sword on me...” 

Ganondorf gasped, looking down at his hands. He had felt an unnatural pull to this weapon. But, how could he have been so stupid? He probably left his friends to deal with a new, stronger version of the creature all because of his stupid recklessness. Their screams and multiple images of them dying in many different and horrid ways flashed through his thoughts. He knew that that wasn’t him, that it was the god hijacking his mind. But still he bent to his knees and screamed, clawing at his hair.   
“Yes, that sword has been mine since the day I became... This can all end, my son, if you just give in...”   
Darkness was clouding his vision and the things in his mind were getting worse and worse. “You’ll have to break me by force.” Ganondorf declared fiercely, his eyes black and unseeing.

...  
Some time later  
...

He didn’t know how much time had passed. Time worked differently here, he knew. His friends could be dead, everyone could be dead. The lost woods could have become truly lost. Inside, everything was becoming torn, all the iron he’d spent so many years cultivating. Everything was coming apart. He looked at the blade of the sword that was laid at his feet. A temptation. He could probably just stab himself with it and this would all be over. But something still intact inside him couldn’t. Couldn’t fail Madas again. Couldn’t make another time fail, make another time continue this endless cycle. He didn’t want to fight the princess, or continue anything. He didn’t want this again.  
But he couldn’t fight it any longer. He wished he’d gotten a chance to apologize to the war god, for making him go through this again. He wished he could prevent his body from being turned into a meat sack to conduct evil. And the people at the palace would probably still think he was a hero... right before they were torn apart.   
As the world turned into splinters and red clouded his vision, a few moments stuck with him. Madas saying sadly that Demise used to be a great guy, that he used to be a god, for the people. Demise taunting him in his mind with the sword, that he’d had it since he was created.   
For a moment, everything stopped, and Ganondorf’s broken, fragmented mind started putting things together. 

Demise was a deity.

Demise was a god.

He’d twisted his power. 

Twisted.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

The power came from the world, from creation.

It wasn’t meant for this.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

With laboured movements, Ganondorf reached for the sword, touching the purple gem embedded in the hilt. Purple wasn’t the colour of Demise’s magic. It was black or red or some other stereotypical evil colour. Not this. 

Unless.

This was how it was supposed to be. 

Untwisted.

Whole.

Divine.

And then Ganondorf put himself back together.   
As his mind suddenly started thinking rationally again, he could hear the fading voice of Demise in his mind, screaming. Screaming as the purple energy coursed over his conduit’s body, pure and whole. Untwisted for the first time in centuries. Free.   
And angry.   
Ganondorf grabbed the sword. Fierce, new power coursed through this veins as the built up energy he’d been holding back his whole life exploded out of him and hurled him back into the true world.

…

When the real world stopped spinning and being blurry, Ganondorf found himself lying flat on the stone ground. Despite the huge amount of power he had just unleashed, he felt weak. So weak, in fact, that all he could do was grunt out in agony and listen to the shrieks of a beast far greater than the one he had killed before.  
"Ganondorf?" Zelda's voice was surprisingly loud against the chaos coming from somewhere he couldn't see. "Oh my goddesses! You're back! Madas! He's back!"  
"Great!" Madas sounded tired. His voice was strained and there were more grunts and yells than coherent words. "Try to move him out of the way. This thing is going all over the place and I can only do so much to contain it without hurting you too."  
The princess came into the Gerudo's view and kneeled beside him. She looked scared, yet there was a look of relief slowly breaking through that fear. "Come on," she said. She grabbed a large arm and nearly collapsed under its weight when she put it around her slim shoulders. "Madas said he can take care of this on his own. Think you can walk?"  
Ganondorf managed to drag himself up off of the floor long enough for Zelda to get him out of the room. Everything still felt foggy, though, and every time he moved his feet it felt as if he was heaving a cartful of bricks with it. As soon as they’d gotten far enough away from the battle, his legs completely gave out and he slumped to the floor, gasping. Zelda shook him, asking if he was okay but he couldn’t find the words to respond. Plus everything was getting fuzzy. And dark. And then the world flicked off like a switch that didn’t work anymore.

…

When Ganondorf opened his eyes, the first thing that stuck him was an incredible feeling of pain. Seriously, his body (and mind) felt like they’d been driven over by a truck. Multiple times.   
“That was incredibly stupid, Ganondorf.” Zelda commented, frowning.  
“Yeah...” he groaned back. “I know. Believe me, you can give me as much crap as you want but my body is already giving me enough things to regret...”  
Zelda frowned, “I already used my power to try and heal you. There shouldn’t be that much pain...”   
Ganondorf just slumped down on the cold, hard rock trying to ignore the feeling of being scraped apart from the inside out. Everything hurt so much. And he was angry (at himself mostly), for being such an idiot and frustrated with the world and compromised and a part of him just wanted to burst out crying or slam his head against the wall.   
Wait.

Suddenly he got up, putting a hand on his chest. With all the emotions swirling around inside him, that thing should be riled, ready to try and take him over. But he didn’t feel anything. Well, other than the constant throbbing of pain. But he didn’t feel the crawling under his skin, the pull to do or say certain things. His eyes widened as he realized the truth.  
The thing inside him, what he’d feared about himself all these years.  
It was gone.  
"It's gone..." he muttered. He was patting his chest in search of it, too, but he found nothing. It truly was gone. "The... curse. I can't feel it."  
The loud laugh that filled the corridor was something that startled both Zelda and Ganondorf. After a moment of shock, however, they turned around to look at the deity. Madas was a sight to behold. Dirty beyond any hope of a quick wash, covered in black blood from the monster and sporting several cuts on his body that looked more painful than life threatening.  
"Finally!" He raised his hands to the sky and laughed some more. "Finally someone with a will strong enough to resist the pull of power!" He leaned onto the wall and slowly slid down to the ground. He looked exhausted and elated at the same time. "I've been waiting for this for so long..!"  
He then held up the sword Ganondorf had found in the different realm. "The power you have now... that... that is what Demise was before he fell to hatred."  
Ganondorf took the offered sword and focused on it. He could feel this dark power coming off from it, but it was not evil. It was more like... an earthquake. Or a volcano erupting. Or a violent storm ravaging the land.  
Powerful. Unrestrained. Chaotic.  
But not evil.  
A true force of nature.  
"I..." he was lost for words. "How can I thank you?"  
Madas chuckled and closed his eyes. "By dragging my sorry carcass over to Kakariko," he said. "I may be a god, but I'm stuck into the body of a mortal. No matter the amount of power I have, I will always have a limit. That thing back there? It got me well beyond that."  
Ganondorf nodded fiercely, grabbing the war god and heaving him over his shoulder.   
“Whiff...” Madas let out a breath, shocked by the sudden change of altitude. He closed his eyes slowly, his body deciding it was safe to rest.   
“Well, Princess, shall we commence dragging ‘his sorry carcass’ over to Kakariko?” Ganondorf asked, laughing. He felt... lighter... unburdened somewhat. It was a good feeling. And maybe the sheer glee of surviving and thriving despite everything that had just gone down (or maybe the chance to live as truly himself) was giving him some semblance of confidence.   
Zelda returned his grin, “I suppose we shall. Follow me!” Zelda picked up a stick and stuck it out in the air, a declaration of the journey they’d about to be undertaking. A playful gesture, of forwards. Of moving in a different, bright new direction. 

Destiny was rewritten, and their path was their own now.   
Who knows where it could take them?  
Through a lot, apparently.  
By the time they had reached Kakariko three days later, they had gone through a swamp, an intricate woods, a very steep path up a hill, and once they thought they were finally in the clear, rain. A lot of it.  
Zelda now knew why Madas had first appeared covered in mud and looking so disheveled. Anyone living near Kakariko would have to endure all these conditions all the time, and probably not be too bothered to have to appear always clean if the next day was the same.  
The only bright note to their journey to the hidden village of the Sheikah was that the deity had gained consciousness sometimes between the swamp and the woods, and had led them since them. The princess was glad he was awake, although she still worried when he had to stop to catch his breath.  
"We're almost there." Madas had a big grin on his face as he pointed a finger further down the path snaking inside a crevice in the mountain. "Just past that and we can have a warm meal and a roof."   
Zelda smiled. She hadn’t visited the Sheikah village personally, but she’d heard a lot about it from Impa. Part of her had always wanted to come here (not under these circumstances, however). Still, it was nice to finally be out in the world and exploring, finding so many things she’d never seen before. All her life, she’d been cooped up in the palace or occasionally going to the Temple Of Time for blessings or whatever. Everything here was so natural and green and raw and it was wonderful.   
“Well let’s go then!” Zelda exclaimed excitedly.   
Madas smiled, perhaps thankful for her enthusiasm. Suddenly, his knees buckled and he fell down, coughing. He still seemed worn out from the fight. Ganondorf slapped the god on the back, “You good or do you need some help? There’s no shame in asking.”   
“I-I don’t want to slow you guys down, and we’re almost there...”  
“Have you been pushing yourself too hard?” Ganondorf scowled at the Deity, picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder again.   
“This ISN’T REQUIRED!” Madas protested loudly, squirming.   
Zelda laughed at the two’s antics, walking forewords on the path, leaving them to follow. Kakariko was on the horizon, and with it, reunion with her teacher, and hopefully some people who would help them. And the world was open to her now. Even though it was rainy, and muddy, and wet, she was enjoying herself.   
For once, everyone didn’t expect everything of her.   
And that was all she needed for now.  
Upon entering Kakariko, Zelda and Ganondorf were met with quiet and peace despite people walking around and doing their daily business. It was a complete opposite to the bustling of Castle Town, where citizens were very loud and sometime even physical when they were doing something.  
"Well," Madas said. Somehow, he had wiggled himself off Ganondorf's shoulder, but he still kept a hand on his large arm for support. "Welcome to Kakariko, home of the Sheikah tribe. Mind your steps, though. When it rains, roads gets really slippery."  
Zelda was fairly confused at that statement, because she could see a group of kids playing under the rain that had no problem in running and jumping. Maybe it was because they were used to the weather, but they sure made it look easy to walk.  
And that was a thought that she immediately threw out of her mind as soon as she took a step forward. Granted, her shoes weren't fit for walking in the mud, but she had hoped that her slip would be minimal. Not that she would be sent flying into a wide arc before landing on the ground with her back and a very loud splat.  
"Slippering indeed," Ganondorf confirmed, not daring to move a foot until he had gained a good understanding of the terrain. "Is the weather always like this here?"  
Madas chuckled, patted the man's arm once, and then walked forward. Despite his exhaustion and the visible limp, his footing was sure and not once he slipped down the path. He did stop frequently, however, to greet the villagers with a smile, a wave, and a few words.  
That made Zelda secretly envious.  
She had nothing against Madas. He was an exceptionally good guy for being a war god stuck in an endless cycle of death and rebirth, and Kakariko and its people were nothing but welcoming with them. No. What she really envied was the relationship between the Sheikah and their god.  
They respected and loved him. She could see it in how they interacted with him every time, but they weren't putting him onto a tall, ornamented, gold pedestal to be worshipped from afar. They got close to him. Patted his back. Joked with him. Kids hugged his legs and laughed when he ruffled their hair. Men showed him their hard labor, be it crops or fine weaponry, while women presented him with intricately woven cloths and the protective charms they had created for their loved ones.  
This was what she had always wanted from her people.  
Her hand found that of her Gerudo friend and squeezed around his large fingers. "Do you think... do you think one day I will be able to have something like he has?"  
Ganondorf looked at the princess, shocked in the sudden pressure on his hand and also the fact she was asking him, of all people, this question. He was probably the last person to talk to regarding ‘loving thy deity’. Heck, his supposed worshipers had just tried to literally break his mind.   
However, when he turned to the princess his mouth moved automatically, “Not right now, surely. They’re far too stupid for that. But when you become ruler you might get the opportunity to show the people who you are a bit more, and then they may come to see you that way... though the future is an undiscovered country, so who knows?”   
Zelda smiled as a response, “You know it really means a lot to hear you say that. You’re always so honest...”   
She felt truly reassured that, someday, there might be that possibility. Plus, it brought her pure joy to see Ganondorf flustered. Clearly that man wasn’t used to taking compliments.Yet, his truthfulness was probably seen as hard and blunt sometimes by people, so she understood. But she didn’t see it that way. So many years of not being told what people actually think (like, “oh she’s not that impressive in real life” or “I expected her to be more... divine”) had taught her to appreciate the man’s blunt, hard honestly. Anything that came from his mouth was what he actually thought.   
It was nice.  
Just like holding his hand.   
Wait...  
She was still holding Ganondorf’s hand.   
And he wasn’t letting go, either. Despite being heavily flustered.   
Well this...  
This was interesting.  
They slowly moved further into the village, mindful of the slippery terrain, and tried to follow Madas as he moved through the gathering crowd. He looked happy, and although he was still coughing when laughing too much, he was not shying away from them.   
Right now he was talking to a couple, listening intently with a big grin on his face. Zelda saw how they were flustered, but still have the courage to ask the deity for whatever they had in mind. Something that Madas agreed once they were done, sending them into pure joy.  
"What was that about?" Zelda asked once she finally managed to reach Madas. "They look so happy."  
Madas chuckled and winked at her. "They are marrying in two days, and asked me if I could do it," he explained. His gaze then noticed that her hand was still curled around Ganondorf and his grin widened even more. "After the Forest Temple, I think we deserve a bit of rest. We can resume our journey once the wedding's over."  
He then became pensive. "I usually don't do this, though I always get invited, but..." he paused and started to laugh. "Well, remember when I asked you if you had summoned me to hook you up with the pretty village boy?"  
Zelda suddenly put things together and her eyes widened. "Wait! You're telling me that they are the ones that did that?"  
Madas' only reply was to laugh even more. "Come on. You can stay with me. My house is large enough, though it's a bit cluttered with stuff I collect during my travels."

...

Cluttered was an understatement.   
The walls were littered with an assortment of weaponry, floors were packed with different stuff (most of which was laying around on the floors in the weirdest places), and it was hard to tell where one stack of stuff ended and another began.   
Ganondorf and Zelda just stared at the multitude of stuff packed through the house. Madas’ place wasn’t small, but it still seemed tiny compared to the amount of stuff that was packed in it. Madas’ head popped out from somewhere in between the rows of boxes.  
“Come on, I’ll show you guys to the guest rooms!” he told them cheerily.   
Zelda dropped Ganondorf’s hand with a smile, following Madas to the first room. Surprisingly, this room seemed to have been kept more or less clean. That was something, at least. The rest of the house was a bit... much.   
Perhaps the war god sensed her discomfort, because he looked sheepish and apologized, “I don’t have visitors often. And people stay with me even less. I apologize if the mattress is a bit lumpy...”   
Zelda, despite being disconcerted, reassured the deity that it was okay. After all, she didn’t mind a little discomfort if it meant she could see Impa again...   
Speaking of which...  
“Hello, Princess.” her protector commented, head stuck through the open window of the room, “Glad you made it.” Impa seemed genuinely happy, which was surprising. Normally she was stoic and rigid, always keeping in a fixed and focused stance.   
“Oh hey, Impa!” Madas commented happily, “You’re here! Whatever happened to you after the waterfall?”   
Impa looked at the war god, concern spreading over her features, “You look like you’re about to collapse... I shall tell the story, that’s true, but you need healing first.”   
Madas looked at his still bruised and battered body, and shrugged, “You’re probably right.” Is all he managed to get out before he collapsed.  
After his agreement, Impa steeled herself and jumped into the room, totally ignoring common courtesy about entering people's houses. Madas seemed to not be bothered by it, though, so Zelda didn't protest. She did, however, sit down on the bed and sigh in relief. Her feet were really sore.  
"In that case, I will be taking care of things from now on," Impa said. She hadn't reverted back to the woman that walked through the castle, but she had this I-shall-not-be-defied air about her anyway. "Princess, I will send someone shortly. They will guide you until Lord Madas is back on his feet. You are in desperate need of a bath."  
Zelda glanced at the sitting god, then turned her eyes onto Ganondorf and then onto herself. Impa was right. They were in need of a good cleaning. Several days spent in the wild had covered them in a heavy layer of mud. Her father would tear his hair out if he saw the conditions she was in.  
"Ah, Impa." Madas stretched his legs and leaned against the nearest wall. "They can use mine. No need to walk to the public bath. I'm sure they'll appreciate it."  
Impa hoisted the deity up and threw one of his arms around her shoulders. "Very well. I will tell the guide to bring a change of clothes too." She narrowed her eyes at him. "As for you, you will lay down. And no getting up unless I say so."  
"You sound more and more like granma..." Madas' comment went almost unheard when Impa started to carry him out of the door.  
This left Ganondorf and Zelda alone, and the Gerudo man suddenly felt kind of lost on what to do next. He looked around at room and took in all the stuff that the god had crammed into the shelves. He could see artifacts from everywhere in the known land. Zora, Goron, Rito, Hylian, Gerudo... and stuff that he couldn't place too. Maybe it was stuff from so far away from Hyrule that no one knew about them.  
"It makes you wonder what kind of adventures he went on," Zelda said softly. She was watching him with a small smile. "What he saw, who he met... What about you, Ganondorf? What kind of things did you see?"  
Ganondorf stopped suddenly. He knew the princess wasn’t trying to upset him, but that question dragged up some rather unpleasant memories. Still, he couldn’t deny that there were kernels of happy times and bittersweet memories of old friends that preceded him being chased out of a place (that happened to him a lot). He wanted to say something but couldn’t manage to say something good. Something about how cool all the places he’d been were. It simply wasn’t true. He had only seen the bad, the harsh side of every place he’d been. He hadn’t had adventures, he’d had a constant battle to survive mixed with constantly being told (often forcibly) to move on.   
And what had he seen? People starving, the ones the world left behind, the divisiveness and hatred on the streets, the executions, the lost and lonely rotting in prison cells. The worst of everything. Stuck on the fringes of this supposedly equal and perfect world.   
“Ganondorf...?” Zelda queried, dragging him back to reality.   
He turned his sad, burdened eyes downwards, “I’m not ready to talk about that yet, Zelda.”   
Her eyes got wide and concerned, “Did I say something to upset you? I’m sorry. I guess I’m not used to having to actually talk with people...”   
He shook his head, “You asked what I’ve seen, there’s nothing wrong with that question. You didn’t mean anything by it. But my answer, for now, is a lot. I’ve seen a lot. Much of which I’m not sure you’d want to hear.”  
Zelda nodded slowly, accepting the answer, “Alright. Perhaps I overstepped, though. And I am sorry if I upset you, even though I didn’t mean to...” she looked at the Gerudo man, “You should probably take up Madas’ offer to use his bath. You’re filthy.”   
“Don’t you want to go, as well?” Ganondorf queried, glad for the change of topic, “You’re not looking so hot yourself.”   
Zelda just looked at herself in the small mirror sitting above the bed-stand, and laughed. “You’re absolutely right, but I can wait. You certainly need a bath more than me. I’m pretty sure you stunk before the mud...”   
Ganondorf feigned insult, “How darest thou, princess? I got a bath a good solid ten weeks ago, thank you very much.”   
Zelda kept laughing, wheezing out breaths between the sheer and utter joy. Ganondorf let a soft ‘heh’ escape his mouth, and then couldn’t hold back the fit of laughter either. When she’d regained enough breath, Zelda tossed the towel at the man, “Have a bath.” she said, attempting a serious and authoritative face.   
Ganondorf pulled the towel off of his face, “You know, normally people give a warning before throwing stuff at someone...” He raised an eyebrow.  
“Normally, people don’t catch a towel with their face... you’re supposed to get it dirty after you have a bath, good sir...”   
Ganondorf smiled, folding the towel into the crook of his arm. Mocking a bow, he declared, “Well, I’ll just relieve myself from your presence, then, and stop insulting your smell receptors, your majesty.”   
Zelda couldn’t hold back another fit of laughter, “I am genuinely surprised you managed to call me ‘your majesty’ with a straight face, Ganondorf.”   
“I have many talents, your majesty.” He mocked, “Now if you excuse me, I’m going to go have a bath.”   
“I’ll expect you back in an... hour maybe?” Zelda giggled.   
Ganondorf rolled his eyes and exited the room, casting one last smile back to the princess before going to clean himself up.  
The moment the Gerudo man left the room, Zelda felt her mood dampen. She did really enjoy his company, and although he could be harsh at times, he did show a kind side that she felt drawn to and made her feel happy.  
After what felt like hours of brooding, Zelda stood up and walked to the mirror. She did indeed look horrible. Her hair was a mess. Her face had smears of mud. Her dress was probably a lost cause with how much dirty it was. Her maids would be horrified about it.  
Yet, Zelda was loving it.  
A knock distracted her from her musings and she turned towards the door just in time to see a young girl walk inside. "I apologize," she said. Her voice was quiet, perhaps even shy. "Lady Impa sent me to guide you and the other guest through everything until Lord Madas is back on his feet."  
She then looked around in puzzlement when she did not see what she had been told to be a fairly huge man.  
"My friend has gone to take a bath," Zelda explained with a kind smile. There was no need to spook the young girl more than she was. "He was in more need than me."  
Realization painted the girl's face and she finally showed a smile. "Oh, I see. In that case I can lead you to the second bath. If you would follow me?"  
Zelda followed the quiet girl out of the room and down the corridor, only to come across a very lost Ganondorf after turning the first corner. He still had the towel in his hand and was looking left and right.  
"Oh my," the girl said. "You must be looking for the bath. Please, follow me. This house has two of them, but the cluttering can be confusing for those that don't know it."  
Confusing was an understatement. Ganondorf was pretty sure he had walked through the same corridor three times before being found by the girl with Zelda on tow. "I was doing fine," he tried to cover his disorientation with a little lie. "I was actually doing some... exploration."  
By the look on the girl's face, however, that lie wasn't working well.  
"I have some spare clothes waiting for you at the baths," she said. "You can leave your current clothes into a basked you will find inside."  
Zelda nodded. She was good at following directions, and this girl was being really helpful when Impa had taken the owner of the house away from them. She just hoped Madas was doing alright and had nothing more than those bruises that had been mentioned.


	9. A Celebration

Madas groaned as the healers wrapped him in bandages. He knew it was helping, but all the pressure and rubbing wasn’t helping his bruised body. He probably shouldn’t have walked all the way here, but he didn’t want to worry the others. Not to mention, adrenaline had kept him going. It was so nice to be home at Kakariko, even if he’d pushed himself too far to get here and to defeat that monster. Plus, it wouldn’t be long before the healers here worked their magic.  
They were probably getting quite sick of him at this point.   
Impa was also probably getting quite sick of him getting himself hurt like this, if her death-glare was any indication. “You should be more careful, Lord Madas.” she said, softly for her, but it sounded stern.  
Madas nodded, wincing as he forced himself up unto his elbows. “I know, but I actually had to this time. The forest depended on it...” he pleaded, hoping to earn some semblance of forgiveness. He knew it bothered Impa when he got himself ‘recklessly hurt’ like this.   
“The forest or somebody or something always depends on it...” she replied, concern still evident on her features, “You need to get some help, someone to bear this burden with you. You can’t expect to take down an entire monster-infested temple by yourself, especially not in this form. I’ve trained Zelda, you know, she could have helped you. And then maybe you wouldn’t be such a mess. Not to mention walking most of the way here.”  
Madas looked down. He knew this was just born out of concern for her deity, but he couldn’t help feeling ashamed that he’d let her down. This wasn’t personal, so why was his mind making it seem that way? “I’m sorry.” he managed, “You know I can’t stay out of people’s problems.”   
She nodded, “Yes, and that’s why your such a good man. But you do not have the powers of a god, or the ability to heal when something goes wrong. You must remember that and be more cautious. These demons of Demise’s making are meant to be fought by conduits, or beings of some power. Not a mortal, no matter how skilled they may be. And that is what you are now, Lord Madas.”   
The healers were finished now, and Impa exited the room. She left behind the cold feeling of regret and disappointment. Madas looked at his bandaged hands and sighed. He tried his best, but somehow there always seemed to be someone that he couldn’t do right by.

Though he came to accept his conditions long time ago, there were still times in which Madas really hated his mortality. Sure, every time he died he would reincarnate into a new body, but there was only so much he could do as a mortal. And while his reincarnation was immediate, it always took years for him to remember who he was whenever he started a new life. Years in which anything could happen.  
Impa was right. He should be more careful when using the powers that had been physically torn away from him so long ago. Mostly due to the fact that using the full extent at the same time would literally destroy his body. Like in the temple, where he had been forced to use a portion of it regardless of the damage he would get. But broken bones, bruises, and cuts were of little concern to him if it meant the safety of his friends and the land.  
"Eh... I can face entire armies and giant demons," he muttered to himself. "And the thing that brings me down are my own powers.”  
He would heal quickly though. Contrary to what everyone thought, his mortal body was far more resilient than the others. He could lift weights that even the strongest man couldn’t. He could jump higher. Run faster. Swing a sword so quickly that none would see it until too late. And he while he wasn't particularly good with a bow, he could still aim at things with deadly precision.  
"Tomorrow is another day," he said. "I'll work harder. Be more careful..."  
He really hated letting people down.

The next couple of days passed quickly. Madas spent most of his time at the healers hut, but enjoyed meals with Ganondorf and Zelda. It was nice to finally see the conduits getting along, and Madas smiled and laughed much. But the thing about happy times is they tend to pass quicker than you’d like them too, and before anyone quite knew what was going on it was time for the wedding.   
Madas was in his house, rooting through boxes in an attempt to find something that would be suitable to wear. Sometimes even he lost track of all the stuff he had in all these boxes.  
“Are we even invited,” asked Ganondorf awkwardly, coming out of his room in a bright white shirt and bow tie, “I feel weird about this... I don’t even know them... I don’t even know anyone here! What am I DOING?”   
Madas laughed, “Everyone in the village is welcome, INCLUDING visitors, Ganondorf... so relax. It’s a community here, and we all celebrate with everyone. It would be more rude if you didn’t come.”   
Zelda strode slowly out of her room wearing a simple black dress. She turned around and tried to look at the back, clearly unsure. “Does this look okay?” She asked slowly, “It’s all I could find here that would fit me...”   
Madas and Ganondorf both threw her a smile. “You look more than okay, princess.” Ganondorf told her.   
Zelda couldn’t help blushing a little. After cleaning up for a couple of days, the Gerudo man looked handsome and the outfit he’d found suited him perfectly. Well, aside from the fact he looked like he was hyperventilating due to stress.  
Zelda was fairly sure that man was a few seconds from running and hiding in the corner and refusing to come out.   
“WhatamIdoinginasuit-areyousurethepeoplewantmethereMadas, butIcantdealwiththis and aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa” Ganondorf was in hardcore panic mode at this point.  
Madas pulled an outfit out of one of the boxes, patting the large man on the shoulder, “Relax, you’ll be fine. Half of it is sitting there and listening to people ramble anyways.”   
Zelda just shook her head. It was nice to be going to a party as herself, not ‘lady goddess deity glorify her name evermore’. She was looking forwards to it. She looked at herself in a conveniently located mirror. They were right, she thought happily, I do look good.   
“Don’t admire your reflection too much, Zelda.” Ganondorf teased. Zelda just shrugged. At least he wasn’t going bonkers anymore.   
Madas shuffled behind a stack of boxes. “I’m going to my room to change, I’ll be out in a few seconds. Don’t do anything too stupid before then.”   
Zelda giggled, “No promises!”  
"I still think I should stay here..." Ganondorf muttered to himself. He was feeling really uncomfortable in the suit, but Zelda had been the one to chose it for him, and he just couldn't bring himself to say no to her. It was a Hyrulean traditional suit, used for important events, and a must for a wedding.  
Or so she said. Ganondorf wasn't paying much attention to that. He was too busy being dazzled by her smile to protest. Or comment how stuffy and constrained he felt.  
"Oh, nonsense," Zelda patted the front of his suit and made sure that everything was in order. "You look good. And as representatives from outside Kakariko, we must make a good first impression."  
But deep down, Zelda was worried about her choice. Despite knowing all about Hyrulean etiquette, she knew next to nothing about the Sheikah and their traditions. Maybe Ganondorf was right and this was too much elegance in a mountain village covered in mud for most of the year, but no other clothes in Madas' possession seemed to look good and be of their sizes.  
"And it's just for today. When the wedding is over, we can take these off and be more comfortable."  
Again, Ganondorf couldn't bring himself to refuse Zelda's wish to appear elegant, and by this point he was wondering if she was taking advantage of this little quirk he had developed recently. Maybe he should be more harsh with her, bring up a bit more of the walls he had built during his life.  
But again, he just couldn't.  
Funny how a huge man like him could be bent so easily by a petite woman like her.

"If you feel uncomfortable in that, I can give you something more to your liking?"  
Madas' voice distracted the two from their current argument and they looked up at the god standing in the doorway. And nearly let their jaws drop.  
Madas was wearing his usual pants, but instead of the green tunic he was wearing a nearly white one and three sashes around his waist to add some color to his overall figure. Their green, blue, and red color were a nice contrast to the monotony of the rest of his clothes.  
But that was not it. What really made a difference was that he was clean and his hair was neatly tied in a loose tress, giving him an aura that Zelda had never felt before. Kind of divine, but not as 'gloriously divine' like people thought Hylia would have.  
It was more like an ethereal divinity of sort.  
Madas smiled, “We like to wear stuff to weddings that highlights our culture and traditions, and ultimately who we are. I think I have a few things that could suit both of you better around here. Especially you, Ganondorf.”   
Ganondorf looked down at his outfit and shrugged, “If you think you have something better.” Part of him was glad to (hopefully) be wearing something more comfortable, but the other part was slightly upset since Zelda had suggested it.   
Zelda smiled, “You’re the expert, Madas. I’m sure we could use your help.”   
In almost no time at all, Madas had dug outfits out of his mounds of stuff. Ganondorf was now dressed in a pure-white set of desert armour, that was carved and stained with dark, indigo purple around the edges. His normal black cape was slung around his shoulder. However, a tarnished bronze clip shaped like a sun held it upon his shoulder, not whatever ruddy thing was before.   
Ganondorf shifted his shoulders, “This does feel more like me, Madas. Thanks!”   
Zelda, for her part, was wearing a vibrant gold sash set upon a smoky grey and simple pantsuit. Her hair was worked differently, braided in the back in a light and airy fashion. The outfit truly looked like smoke, the fine fabric dancing from darker to lighter just as real smoke would. A pair of golden fingerless gloves completed the look.   
Madas smiled, content with his companion’s attire. “Shall we, then? We have a wedding to attend, friends!”  
Zelda had to give it to Madas. He knew how to dress people and make them look good and feel comfortable at the same time. Maybe once this whole mess was over, she could ask him to give a few pointers to the palace staff. Way too many times they had went for the obnoxiously fancy and ignored how uncomfortable a dress could be.

She gave a chuckle at yet another thing that was so not 'war god' like. But again, it couldn't be helped. Madas had been stuck in the mortal world for who knows how long. It was only natural for him to pick up things that weren't strictly related to his divine role.  
"You look..." Ganondorf was walking next to her as they made their way out of the house. He appeared flustered, but much, much better than before when he had been forced into that suit. "Good."  
"Thank you," Zelda replied with a smile. "You look good too."  
And indeed he looked good. Zelda had been around nobility and high ranked people all her life, surrounded by luxury and riches only the royals and those close to them could ever attain. She had seen all sort of dresses and suits, often with so many details to them that the person wearing them literally disappeared and she felt like she was talking to walking clothes.  
But Ganondorf, with that light armor that Madas had given him, he truly looked like... she mentally paused and tried to put into words what she was seeing. He did look imposing, but not in a tyrannical way. He looked elegant, but not the way nobility loved to do. And he had this 'you will listen to me' air about him that made her secretly wait for his every word.  
Right now, she realized, the Gerudo man looked like a true leader, ready to lead his people in first person rather than relaying orders from the height of his throne like her father loved to do.  
"I'm sure you'll make a great king for the Gerudo once we clear your name," Zelda said. "And I promise you, I'll make sure of it!"  
Ganondorf smiled at the princess. He did appreciate the optimistic sentiment, surprisingly, which was a new for him. Maybe just because it was Zelda, or maybe the fact that he was going to a wedding with his friends. And today was too happy a day for him to mention he wasn’t sure that would ever happen. He was content to let the Princess’s comment hang in the air. Madas took one last look at the two of them, a focused and concentrated expression on his face. He nodded, as if deciding that the two did look good, or at least acceptable. 

Waving the two out of the door, Madas stepped outside, a smile on his face. He looked (and felt) much better than he had before these two days of rest. Plus, it was (in a weird sort of way) satisfying to be marrying two people he’d introduced (even if it was with some protest). Sheika dressed in various forms and colours of traditional garb greeted him as he stepped outside, joined by his friends on either side. Some wore decorations in their hair, some scarves. One boy had cut the outfit into a t-shirt. Madas had to smile at that. It was wonderful to see everyone expressing themselves as who they were, unafraid and open. Him, the worldly Deity, had a place here, and one that fit him. He often didn’t feel this... real... in Hyrule. Looking back, he gazed at his companions. Zelda, curious and royal, optimistic and revelling in her newfound freedom. Ganondorf, willful and strong, awkward and blunt. He could see them crystal clear like this, now, and he hoped everyone else could too.  
Impa greeted the group, looking at Zelda with a mixture of shock and apprehension, “You look... interesting, princess. I expected to see you wear something... different.”   
Zelda laughed at the comment, “I know! I did too! But this just feels so right. Madas is surprisingly good at picking clothes for a ‘war god’.”   
Madas wasn’t quite sure whether to be complimented or insulted by that comment, so he just kind of stood there for a few seconds looking incredibly confused. Shrugging, he turned around and continued to the centre of the town. They did have a wedding to attend to. And he should probably be there at least a bit early, considering he was actually a part of everything.   
That was a weird feeling.   
He’d last married someone.... five hundred years ago? And that was one of his before-I-realized-I-was-a-Deity periods. He shivered. That resurrection was filled with lots of awkward memories.   
Suddenly a girl ran into him, bowling him over due to him not paying a whack of attention to anything even remotely related to the stuff that was actually around him.   
“You’re here!” the bride laughed, “I’m glad you could make it... and are these your guests?” she looked at Ganondorf and Zelda with wide and curious eyes, as if she wanted to pick the both of them apart and see what made them work and all the stories they had inside them.   
Madas nodded, “Yes, but of course. Downy, this is Ganondorf and Zelda. And might I add, congratulations! Looks like you made my efforts worthwhile.”  
Downy blushed, “Yes, I guess I did. You’re never going to let me forget that, are you? It was one note years ago!” she turned to the god’s companions, “It’s nice to meet you! I always love meeting new people! They always have such interesting stories to tell! I love hearing about other places! We don’t get visitors much here! I’m excited, can you tell?”  
Ganondorf looked like he’d just woken up one morning and found the sky neon pink.   
Zelda laughed and smiled, “I’m glad you’re so happy. And congratulations! I’m sure I can tell you a few things about different places, but I’m afraid this is my first time out of my home, so I haven’t experienced much...”   
Downy laughed, “Oh yes! I’d love to hear whatever you can tell me! And I’m sure I can tell you a few things as well, I’ve basically interrogated anyone who comes into this town...” she rubbed the back of her neck.   
“Somehow,” Ganondorf managed, “That doesn’t surprise me...”   
Downy looked at the man, who’d suddenly acquired a voice. For a second, she almost looked offended, but then just laughed, “This is a lot, isn’t it? You don’t strike me as someone who’s been around this much people a lot. Don’t worry, Kakariko isn’t a super big village, there won’t be a ridiculous crowd! And there’s always the garden if you need to go out. (Especially during the speeches- my grandmother could talk until the cows have come home and then some...)”  
Ganondorf blinked, unaccustomed to the sudden kindness, “T-thanks.” he managed, “I’m not really too good with this...”  
“No problemo! Though I have to get ready for the ceremony now.” grabbing Madas on the elbow, she proceeded to drag the Deity towards a large and colourful tent, “And you’re coming too! Preparations must be made!”   
Now it was just Ganondorf and Zelda. And Impa, looking sideways at the large man with the look of a threatened mother bear.   
Yes, this was going to be a great ceremony.

But Impa was also known as one with one heck of a capability of restrain herself. "Come on, this way." She motioned for the two to follow her down the path that led to the center of the village. There, people had temporarily built a very large gazebo that could comfortably house everyone under it. It was decorated with colorful flower, had several pillows strewn across the floor, and had a raised platform right in the center  
"You can sit anywhere," Impa informed the two. "We don't really take into consideration ranks when it comes to weddings. Our traditions puts the marrying couple in the center of attention, so even leaders and elders will be part of the crowd."  
Zelda was surprised at that. Whenever she was attending an event back home, like a wedding or a ceremony, she was always the center of attention. Always put up on a throne. Always mentioned in the speeches. Always put before who the ceremony was for.  
To attend something as part of the crowd was... new and exciting.  
By the time they found a nice spot near one of the edges, where Ganondorf wouldn't feel too crowded, people were starting to come. They were laughing, talking excitedly about the wedding, and totally ignoring Zelda as if she was nothing more than a peasant coming from outside.  
At one point, Impa, sitting next to her, was joined by an elderly woman and the two started to chat quietly. Though Zelda caught Impa call the other ‘grandma’, she didn't feel like intruding, so she turned her attention onto what was going on around her. People had filled up the gazebo, kids were in a corner playing while waiting, and rain had started up again. No wonder they had built the gazebo.  
"Alright, people!" Madas was back and walking through the sitting crowd, careful to not step over someone's hand. "Quiet down. We're starting. You can resume after we're done."  
There were some lighthearted protests coming from around him, but he laughed and waved the comments off. "I'll be quick, don't worry." A pause and a knowing grin appeared on his face. "Knowing them, they'll be grateful for a speed up. So sush."  
He reached the raised platform, but he did not stand on it. Rather, he looked at the entrance of the gazebo and grinned even more. "Unless you two are too busy?"  
There was a loud squeak, but when Zelda turned around to look in that direction, all she saw was the girl, Downy, and her soon-to-be husband. They did look embarrassed, though, so maybe Madas had caught them doing something... not so innocent.  
"You'll never let us live that down, will you?" the young woman asked as she made her way through the crowd along with her companion. "It happened only once!"  
Madas laughed and motioned for the two to step onto the raised platform. It made the two stand apart from the crowd and in a place where everyone could see it. It was a really smart idea, because no one in the crowd would be too far to see.  
"Girl," Madas replied quickly, grabbing her hand in his. "Kissing like that just behind Grandma's house isn't exactly innocent. Your... vocalization of it was loud enough to get me out to check on what was going on. I thought... you don't want to know what I thought at the moment."  
The two blushed. The crowd laughed. And the kids went 'ew'. Still, it did not stop the deity from grabbing the husband-to-be's hand in his other and latch it with that of Downy. "I do hope you have a house waiting for you after this, because I don't want to walk around a corner and find you doing who knows what."  
There were more laughs, and the two blushed even more. But they weren't looking humiliated at all. "Don't worry," she replied with a wide smile. "Only one wall left to build and some interior decoration, and the village will experience embarrassment no more!"  
Zelda was starting to understand why this girl had asked Madas to officiate the wedding. This... this was different. And funny. And... she was loving every second of this. If she ever married, she would be sure to ask the deity to officiate her wedding too.  
"Alright, alright," Madas was back to being serious, though he still had an amused smile on. "So, do you want him?"  
Downy straightened out and looked as serious as she could while having a red face. "Of course!"  
Madas then turned to the young man. "Do you want her?"  
The man nodded at first. "Of... of course!" he spluttered out when he noticed that movement only might not be considered much of an answer.  
"Will you two support each other, no matter what? Will you help the other in any task whenever they need help? But most importantly, will you be loyal?"  
There was silence. A pin could drop and be easily heard as if a huge rock had been thrown down an incline. There was tension in the air, as if everyone's expectation had turned into an invisible veil that enveloped the whole gazebo. Even the kids were still and waiting.  
Then, the two smiled and everything melted back into the joyous atmosphere of a happy event. "Of course," they replied together. "From now on, until death."  
Madas clapped his hands once. "Good. Very good," he said. He was slowly stepping back and leaving the two at the center of attention. "I declare you wife and husband. You have my blessing, kids. Go out and be happy together!" A pause. "You also might kiss to seal the whole deal now, since you're so into that."

People laughed, cheered, and clapped at the two. Even the kids cheered and jumped in joy, screaming something about the oncoming food feast and games.  
"Always to the point, eh boy?" The old woman asked when Madas finally made his way back to them. "You jumped a lot of passages."  
Madas laughed. "You should know me, Grandma. I was never into wordy stuff. I prefer to get to the point quickly, and they do look like they have appreciated it."  
The old woman frowned, then accepted the answer with a reluctant ‘hmmf’.   
“I must go bless the couple...” she whacked the deity over the head with a stick, “You take better care of yourself when I’m away. And when I get back, you are introducing your new friends properly, which, by the way, you should have done already!” She walked briskly away to go talk to the newlyweds.   
“What just happened?” Zelda asked quizzically.   
Madas rubbed his head where the old woman had hit him, “Oh that’s just Grandma.”  
Zelda looked just as confused, and (to be fair), it wasn’t much of an explanation. Before she could think of another question to ask or consider his response, Downy dashed over to them.   
“Hide me!” the bride gasped, “Grandma’s got my husband cornered and it’s only a matter of time before she finds me too...” She grabbed a pillow and ducked behind Zelda, crouching so you could only see her if you went directly behind the princess.  
Impa smiled for a mere second, but was caught. Ganondorf looked over to the woman and gasped, “What? You can smile?”   
Downy burst out in a fit of joyfulness, falling and rolling around in the pillows, laughing. Impa glared at the large man, who quickly shoved some food into his mouth to avoid having to respond, looking up as if to say ‘who, me?’ Madas raised an eyebrow at the Sheikah leader. Even Zelda couldn’t resist a little giggle at the expense of her protector.   
When they all calmed down, Downy looked at Zelda, wide curious eyes returning to her face, “So, you said you might be able to tell me about different places, and people, and stuff!”   
Zelda looked at the young newlywed, about to tell her some of the stories she knew and stuff she’d heard when...  
“I SEE YOU YOU LITTLE GIRL! WE HAVE BLESSINGS TO GET DONE!” grandma yelled from the other side of the gazebo. She was stalking towards the group looking quite intimidating.   
“Crud.” Downy gasped, “Guess I have to go do blessings now... I WILL BE BACK!” Then she ran off. 

…

The afternoon dissolved into a flurry of conversations, with everyone seeming to want to talk to their deity’s new friends, and even Ganondorf (what) made at least an attempt at conversations. Madas seemed to be constantly introducing them to someone, and by the time the shadows were long and the sun was beginning its lazy descent down the horizon, Zelda was sure that she’d met EVERYONE in the village.   
True to her word, Downy had peppered the two newcomers with questions about cultures, customs, and stories throughout the night. She seemed genuinely enthralled with the responses. As if the knowledge was fuel and she was one giant machine.  
Suddenly, three of the villagers whipped out instruments out of seemingly nowhere and jumped upon the platform, “You know what time it is, Kakariko!” the dude in the front yelled, “You better get into the circle, sis- you too, new bro!”  
Downy put her face in her hands, “Sometimes my brother can be sooooo... embarrassing.” Then she stepped out into the circle that had suddenly appeared to accommodate the couple. Soft, yet jumpy music started playing and the two danced to the merry jig. The whole town seemed to be laughing with the couple, and even Zelda found herself clapping to the rhythm. After awhile, the circle began to dissolve with more and more people coming in to the dance in twos, threes, circles, or whatever number they cared to be in. It was beautiful. As the number of people around her dwindled, she realized that she had no clue what to do. Panicking, Zelda looked around for Madas or someone who knew what they were doing but the deity had been dragged away by that grandma person and she couldn’t see anyone else and oh my gosh what was she doing...  
“Um... Princess...” Ganondorf coughed from behind her, holding out his hand, “Y-you need some... uh... help there?”   
Zelda laughed, grabbing his hand and, together, they twirled off into the electric crowd.  
Zelda had a blast that day. Not only she got to spend time with her friend Ganondorf doing all sort o things you do at a party (dancing, eating, playing with the kids, laughing along with people), but she also went unrecognized.  
Or better, some of the villagers did recognize her, but all she got was a smile and a quick greeting before they went back to what they were doing before they noticed her. It was refreshing, and Zelda treasured these moments like the most important thing in the world.  
Impa had disappeared sometimes after she started dancing with Ganondorf, maybe to keep an eye on the more hyperactive of the kids, and she had lost track of Madas long before that. Still, she was not worried because the party was taking all her attention.  
By the time the wild dances were over, it was starting to get dark and Zelda was nearing exhaustion. Thankfully, that day had not rained, so she and Ganondorf had an easy time in walking down the road. Both had happy smiles, though the large man also had this dark coloration around his cheeks that Zelda couldn't exactly explain.  
"This was really funny!" She spoke, one arm coiled around one of Ganondorf's large arms. "Back in Hyrule, it's all about proper etiquette and facades. They always act so stiff and careful around me... even scared, I might add..."  
"People fear what they do not know," the man replied quietly. "All their life they were told that you are the goddess reincarnation, that you are holy, that you are well above them, and that you could probably smite them if angered. If not you, then the king would have them beheaded. It is only natural that they have not approached you as a normal person."  
Zelda leaned into the arm she was grasping and patted it gently. She knew Ganondorf was probably like her, just with the difference that he was shunned away, or worse, people trying to kill him. But the man had also broken his curse and was free of the dark god's hatred. Maybe in the future he could have his throne back and be loved by his people.  
"Our meeting was by chance, and a weird one," she said. She had a small smile upon remembering the chaos that had been that day. "But I am glad it happened. You're the only person that can understand me."  
Ganondorf looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. There was a bit of confusion on his face, but he successfully hid that away with a pensive frown. "What about Madas? He seems to know and understand a lot."  
"Oh, Madas is a great guy. Can't deny that." She replied. "But while he can understand, he doesn't know how it is. Well, he probably does, but not fully? His people treat him like one of their own rather than an untouchable and frail object. They don't fear him. He has a place to stay if the outside world is harsh to him."  
"Speaking of which," Ganondorf decided this was a good time to change topic. "Where is he?"


	10. To Death Mountain

Zelda looked up in confusion. Last time she had seen him was at the gazebo, shortly after ending the wedding. "Maybe he went back home?"  
As if on cue, an oh-so-familiar moustached figure stepped out of the shadows, holding a limp war god.   
“Hello Princess.” the captain crooned, “Clever thing you lot managed to pull at the castle. And here I thought I had you all under my fingertips. Well, that’s the folly of being somewhere you know well, I guess. You always think you’re safe.” He ran his fingers along the side of unconscious Madas’ cheek. “I’m surprised I managed to catch this one... it’s almost like he’s lost a bit of strength, or something. Wonder how that happened?”  
“You HEATHEN!” Zelda screamed suddenly, her loud ‘thou shalt obey me’ voice resonating over the houses, “You shall unhand him this very instant, you sorry piece of garbage.”  
The captain laughed, “Unhand him? This criminal? I’m afraid, by right and virtue of my position, I can’t exactly do that...” He laughed and twirled his moustache, “Well, I suppose I could be persuaded... say... with a certain green rock I know you guys picked up on your way over to the forest...”   
Ganondorf pulled out a green rock from the depth of his pocket, tossing it over to the Captain.  
“Ganondorf... what are you doing? Why?” Zelda gasped.  
He looked over to the princess, a desperate ‘trust me’ look in his eyes. She relaxed a little, praying that the large man knew what he was doing. Hopefully, he hadn’t handed over one of the keys to the triforce. The captain tossed Madas into the dirt, wafting a substance over him that made him slowly regain consciousness. Ganondorf rushed over to the Deity, grabbing him and drag-walking him to behind the two of them. The captain, seeing the lights flickering on in the houses and people looking out in shock and anger at him, bolted.   
Madas struggled to his feet, flopping into Zelda for support. She tried her best to hold him up. “Are you alright?” she asked.   
“I feel dumb... I should have known this wouldn’t last forever... Of course he knows where Kakariko is. It wouldn’t have been hard to figure out where I’d go... and now we’ve lost the key, haven’t we. We must have... you got me back and that’s what he wanted isn’t it.” He broke down crying, “I let you guys down... I’m sorry I should have been the experienced one and not got caught and...” he trailed off, “I let the forest down. And... the girl... the one I should remember. We lost the key...”  
“Well...” Ganondorf muttered, “Not exactly...”  
“WHAT” Madas gasped, “But...”  
Ganondorf shrugged, “He was rushing it. I bet he wouldn’t check the rock or for the telltale signs of it being too easy. This was almost desperate. Especially with so many around that would defend Madas. And he was alone. Though I don’t see what could scare that man or make him this .... weird ... Either way, the real key is in your regular outfit at your place, Madas. Where you left it.”  
Madas hugged the large man, almost flopping from Zelda’s support to Ganondorf’s. The large man look at the distance, “He’s not going to fall for that again. But at least we’re all fine for now. He was stupid this time. I guess that’s the folly of being in a place you know well. And he’s used to being in control”  
But Madas was still not entirely happy. He was a deity, yet the enemy had caught him unguarded. In his own home. Surrounded by people that were generally more attentive than the rest of Hyrule's population.  
And maybe it was just that.  
He had felt so safe at home, surrounded by people that he loved, that he had let his guard down long enough for the man to sneak in and knock him out with that drug. It made him feel humiliated, affronted, and very, very angry.  
As angry as he had been at the beginning, when he was still a full god and war was a widespread phenomenon.  
"We have to leave," he whispered, finally gaining his feet under him. He was still unsteady, but he was not letting that stop him. "Before he decides to storm this place with his troops because of that fake stone."  
A small smile then spread over his face and he looked up at Ganondorf. "Good save, by the way." He slapped the man on the back a couple of times. "Especially you didn't have any time to prepare. Where did you get that stone anyway?"  
Ganondorf coughed and looked away. "I... uh... found it near the river. It had this... interesting green color that stood out..." he explained. "And, well, I don't know why, but I picked it up. Good thing I did, since it turned out to be useful. Ah ah ah..."  
Madas nodded, slowly feeling the drug leaving his veins. “It’s all the more important that we get the keys before that man does. He’s clearly unhinged.”  
Ganondorf nodded, “We should stay the night though.”  
Madas looked with the large man, protesting, “But he has a head start and...”   
Zelda cut him off, “Madas you’ve just been drugged, and have only just began to regain your strength. You need rest, whether you want to admit it or not. Plus, the gorons will likely defend their piece to the bitter end, so you need not worry about him having a slight head start. It’s not like he had an army or anything. At least not yet.” 

Madas tried to protest more, but really he couldn’t do that much about the fact that Ganondorf could easily (and would) sling the smaller god over his shoulder and force him to rest himself. He didn’t want to relive that experience for what... the third time? Still, he couldn’t fight the feeling that he should move and go an help and-  
“Alley-oop, then.”   
Well.  
He was on Ganondorf’s shoulder again.  
Nice.   
Zelda smiled, “If you would take care of yourself better, we wouldn’t need to do this...”   
“Lady’s right, Madas. If you push yourself so hard you crap out constantly, you’ll be no use to anyone. Best to rest while you can. Plus, it would suck to try to find our way up a steep mountain path in the dark.” Ganondorf had a look of concern in his eyes as he looked at the Deity on his shoulder.  
Madas accepted that there was no way he was squirming off of the large man’s shoulder in his semi-drugged state. Speaking of which, he still felt kind of sleepy. And his limp body had suddenly decided that it didn’t need to function anymore. His eyelids began to grow heavy, staying half-open but not really seeing anything. He relaxed, memories drifting through his head of being a small boy, cradled into his mom’s arms at the end of a long day. One of his moms. He’d had a lot in different reincarnations over the years.   
“But I-I dont want to go sleeps, mommy...” he muttered deliriously, fading in and out of consciousness, “I want to stay up and eat all the poppity-corn.... but I’m not tired... but but but...”   
And with that, he fell asleep.  
But while Madas was forced to retreat, the Sheikah tribe took the assault to their god as a personal offence. Impa herself was already giving out orders and directions, like setting up a night watch and patrols, and making sure no one was missing. Especially with the kids, who had a tendency to run around a lot.  
"Come on, let's get him inside," Zelda said with a frown. Until that moment, the day had been wonderful. Now, however, she could feel the blanket of worry covering the entire village.  
So she led the way, walking up the short stairs that led to Madas' front porch and going inside once she got the door open. The house was as it had always been. Chaotic and crammed with stuff, but after two days of living there, she had learned where rooms were, which stack of stuff was the most inclined to fall, and where to put her feet as to not trip.  
Ganondorf wasn't as quick on the learning process as Zelda was, as the only thing he could remember was the location of certain rooms, so he limited himself in following the princess through the maze as best as he could.  
"His room should be here," Zelda muttered, stopping in front of a door and opening it. Part of her was excited, as this was one of the rooms she had forbid herself to enter.

Once she was inside, she noticed that the things stored in there were... different. More... magical. Like that rod stashed in the corner, or the several music instruments on one of the shelves. Or the magic swords. Or the shields.  
Or that huge chest armor in the other corner. It was clearly made for someone far taller than even Ganondorf, and made to protect while still maintain agility.  
And was that her great great great great grandmother's rapier sitting next to Madas' huge sword?  
"He's smart to keep these in his room," Ganondorf commented as he placed Madas into a bed that was pushed up against one of the walls. "It's a bit more safe than the rest of the house."  
Zelda nodded. There was quite an arsenal in here. She looked at the sleeping Madas who suddenly looked so peaceful and innocent. “We should probably leave and not be those creepy people who watch someone as they sleep.” She thought suddenly out loud.  
Ganondorf barked a laugh, “Yes. Plus we should get some rest too. Though I plan on getting up before our resident deity here to make sure he doesn’t rush off doing something stupid to ‘help’.”  
Zelda giggled. That was probably a good idea. 

She stepped out of the room, holding the door open for Ganondorf to follow. Closing it gently so as not to disturb the sleeping god, she stepped into the hallway. This night had been full of good memories, but under their very noses this attempt on the emerald key had happened. It made her shiver. Still, she refused to let go of what had been made here. These memories would only give her more to fight for, make her stronger. And tomorrow they would set off on the next stage of their journey.   
But for now it was time to rest. Until the morning called them back to the conscious world and to their fated path.

The next morning found Zelda and Ganondorf up at the first light of dawn. Unlike for Madas, the night had not been kind to them as they had slept very little. More than often Zelda found herself walk around the quiet house upon hearing the smallest of sounds, only to end up colliding face first with the Gerudo's large chest.  
"You two look horrible," Madas voice was strangely low. Tired even. "Bad night?"  
Zelda looked up from the table and the meager breakfast she had managed to scrounge up. And noticed how worn out the deity was. "You don't look good yourself."  
Madas frowned and looked away. "Yes," he whispered. He went to sit to a barely awake Ganondorf and poked at what passed as good on his plate. "You never sleep well under the effect of drugs." A small smile spread on his lips, and it lifted the mood a little bit. "We can leave whenever we're ready. Feel free to grab some of the equipment you find in here if you think it'll be useful. The road to the volcano isn't exactly safe."  
Ganondorf shrugged, patting Demise’s sword (though it was probably rightfully his now), and adjusted his hard leather armour. “I’ve got everything I need.”  
Zelda, on the other hand, was looking intently around the room. Madas was a war god, and always brought weapons. Ganondorf likely needed them. But, as a princess, she hadn’t considered bringing any. Or armour, though she’d prefer something lighter.   
She picked up one of the staffs littering Madas’ room. It was not unlike some of the things she’d trained with with Impa, and fit comfortably into her hand. She could feel it, too, and suspected she could store some of her energy into it if she needed to. She liked fighting with staffs, and had lost the one she’d found in that temple in the Lost Woods somewhere along the way.   
She was still wearing the pantsuit she’d put on during the wedding, and found it actually quite comfortable. Still, she looked around. Perhaps some light armour to put on top for a bit of protection? She found exactly what she needed, though it wasn’t in Madas’ room. She thought one magic item was enough. 

Madas nodded as she came out, “Probably a good bet to have some extra protection...”   
Then it was time to set off.   
Kakariko bid them an enthusiastic farewell, making sure they had supplies at least ten times. Downy herself gave Madas a small basket with special treats (which she said were for everyone). Zelda turned to face Impa and found her protector wearing simple Sheika garb, not her normal armour.  
“You- You’re not coming?” Zelda gasped.  
“No princess, though I’d like to.” she kneeled down and put her hand on the princess’ shoulder, “This is the kind of journey that is yourself alone. My presence would be intruding. Though, let your suspicious and secretive companion know that if he tries to pull anything, I will personally come and whup his ass.”  
Zelda giggled. It seemed as Ganondorf and Impa had an interesting relationship. She gave her protector a large hug, shocking the woman. “Thank you for everything, Impa.”  
Then she waved goodbye to the village, running to catch up with Ganondorf and Madas, and together they set off. To Death Mountain. And beyond.  
Which consisted in more muddy terrain, swamps, wet forests, and slippery hills.  
By the time the three reached the top of the last incline, Zelda was wondering if the Sheikah had chosen that place for their village for the secrecy or because they just loved to make it difficult in general. Impa and her people enjoyed keeping their secrets hidden, after all.  
"I am sorely missing my desert right now," Ganondorf decided it was a good time to plop down onto the ground to rest his weary feet. It didn't matter if the grass was wet with the recent rain. "The dryness, the heat, the absence of water..."  
Madas was sitting next to him, uncaring if his clothes were getting more dirty than usual. "You'll find out that Death Mountain will offer you a similar experience." He looked into the distance, at a mountain standing tall among the others and that was releasing a steady plume of smoke. "It also has hot springs. Does wonder for wounds and weary feet."  
"Have you been there before?" Zelda asked, standing behind the two and refusing to get the nice clothes dirty by sitting down with them. She too was looking in that direction, and a part of her was terribly excited to see a place she had only read about.  
The deity chuckled, but it sounded strangely tired. "Not in this life, princess," he replied. "And this will not be the last."  
Ganondorf looked up at the top of the mountain, “Well at least it’s warmer and less muddy there. I like warm and not muddy.” He heaved himself back up to his feet and stretched them a little. “How are you doing Madas?”   
The deity in question was still sitting, and he looked up at Ganondorf, the tiredness evaporating from his eyes as he smiled at the man, “Tired, but likely not any more than either of you. I suspect some of my strength is returning. Though I don’t think I should attempt fireworks anytime soon. I’ll leave that to both of you, now that we all have weapons. Speaking of which, how well do you two know how to use your conduit abilities?”   
Zelda looked down at her hands, bringing a soft glow into her fingertips, “I’ve trained extensively in healing. As far as using this light inside me for combat purposes? Well, a ‘benevolent, all-loving deity’ isn’t exactly encouraged to fight...”  
The gerudo man on the other hand, quickly shook his head, “It hasn’t been safe to touch my abilities with a ten foot pole before now...”  
Madas nodded. They were pretty much the answers he’d expected. “Why don’t we practice a bit then? We still have awhile to go, it’s getting a bit late and it’s sheltered here. It seems like a good place to make camp.... plus, if we end up having to fight like we did in the Lost Woods then it would probably be wise to have at least a little experience. I’ve been using my residual energies for a long time now. I think I could show you two a few things, at least. Though certainly no demonstrations...”  
Zelda fingered the staff, feeling it’s energies as Ganondorf touched the gem imbued within his sword lightly. Madas was right. It was about time they learned to channel these abilities properly. And what better time than now?  
“Alright!” Zelda said enthusiastically at the same time Ganondorf muttered a reluctant ‘okay’. It seemed the large man still wasn’t the most comfortable with his power, even uncorrupted as it was.   
Madas cracked his knuckles. “Alright then... where should we start?”


	11. Training

Madas sat thinking, arms crossed and one finger tapping rhythmically to accompany his humming. "Well, let's start with showing me what you can do," he said. "Words can only do so much in teaching the art of fighting."  
He stood up and stretched for a moment before taking a few steps away from the two. He knew that they could fight to a degree, but he was unsure how well they could do. And as they stood up with confusion and apprehension, he instantly knew that Zelda was too rigid in her movements and Ganondorf was one to just swing something big around and hope to land a hit.  
"Come on," he invited with a smile, hoping it would ease their nervousness. "I won't hit back, but do try to hit me. Or pin me down. Whichever comes first."  
The Gerudo frowned in utter confusion and looked down at his big and very sharp sword. "Won't you get hurt? I doubt a mortal body could withstand the hit from a sword."  
Madas chuckled and waved a hand in dismissal. "My body may be of mortal flesh and bones, but my soul is not. I am far more resilient than you think, and I've come out of situations that would have killed any other. A sword hit will hurt, that is for sure, but it will leave nothing more than an angry red line to show its passage. Unless I take too many hits, but by then I will call the fight off."  
Ganondorf shrugged, but he still looked worried about killing a deity. The last thing he wanted was to have a god hunting him down along with the rest of the kingdom because he was careless. Not that Madas looked like the type of deity out for revenge when it came to honest mistakes, but still...  
He was a god.  
Gods were supposed to be treated nicely. No matter if said gods were kind and accepting and easygoing.  
Right?  
His thoughts were interrupted by a stick to the face.

“I said hit me...” Madas commented, sounding rather annoyed, “That doesn’t mean ‘stand there and look confused’. If you did that in a real fight you would be dead...”   
Ganondorf rubbed the side of his face. He supposed if the alternative to not attacking was getting whacked multiple times in the face, then he’d fight. He drew the sword. It was a bit bigger than he was used to and awkward, but he supposed it would be the best weapon for now.   
Ganondorf made sure that the sword was angled so that he’d hit with the flat of the blade, thought. Didn’t want to get anyone injured or anything... Without warning, Madas’ body began to move, feigning one way and then dashing to the other. As he moved Ganondorf shoved the flat of the blade towards the deity’s stomach. Madas managed to dart back, of course, but Ganondorf was ready. He’d spent enough of his life getting into scraps that he knew somewhat how to move during a fight, and how to make himself look like less of a threat.   
Though he did have a bit of a nasty tendency to swing at things too much, especially when he was aggravated or upset.   
He was trying to work on that.

After a few more swings, Madas began to call out different tips. Cries of ‘drop that elbow’ or ‘you didn’t need to swing there’ were mixed with hits and feigns and dodges and one especially satisfying time that Ganondorf actually managed to hit the deity on the arm. Wasn’t much, but considering how good Madas was, he was satisfied with that.   
“Okay.” Madas pensively stated after awhile of the back and forth, “Well you’re certainly better than I thought. You fighting skills actually are pretty good. There were a few particularly nasty swings there that were quite hard to dodge. Not used to that broadsword, though, are you?”  
“Nope.” A very sweaty and tired Ganondorf replied sullenly.   
“It shows. Though that just takes practice and time. It’s good you have the fighting mentality, that takes a bit longer to teach,” The deity turned to Zelda, who had been mostly observing, resting, or eating throughout him and the Gerudo man’s session. “Now it’s your turn.”  
Zelda jumped up, grabbing her staff enthusiastically, “I’m ready to learn!”   
Madas stretched a little, working out his muscles. Dodging Ganondorf had taken a fair amount of effort. He hoped that this would be a bit easier. Though considering Impa had trained Zelda a bit, it wasn’t liable to be.   
“So... do I just... start?” asked the princess quizzically.   
When Madas nodded, the princess settled into a fighting stance, bringing her staff a bit behind her. A tense moment passed. 

Then, fast and sudden as light, Zelda began to move. As Madas predicted, her movements were a little tense and elaborate, but the flurry of strikes from her staff caught the war god off guard. He got hit at least two times before he managed to dart back and start to counter.   
When she said that Impa had trained her a bit he hadn’t expected this. Shaking his head, he gained more of a presence of mind and began to avoid her rapid paced attacks. Still, it was difficult. Zelda seemed to keep her body in constant motion, sometimes launching two or three techniques before switching positions and...  
Wait, why was her staff glowing?   
Suddenly, a burst of white light hit the god straight into the chest and carried him into the nearest boulder. Zelda dropped the shaft, seemingly shocked as he was, “Oh my gosh, Madas! I’m so sorry!”   
Madas heaven himself up, “I’m okay. But that’s enough...”   
The real question was...  
What on earth had just happened?

Madas stood up and collected the discarded staff, examining it. There was nothing magical about it. Just a normal wooden pole with a thin metal sheet to cover the ends so that it wouldn't splinter upon impact. That hit, whatever it had been, was entirely coming from Zelda herself. Without any amplification magic being applied.  
"Girl," he called. His voice was serious, but not angry. Still, it made Zelda stand up straight the same way she used to do when she was being chastised by Impa. "Are you sure you were not trained in using your powers as attacks?"  
The princess shook her head. "No. All I did was practice on healing, sealing, and shielding." She slumped her shoulders and looked down. "I was always forbid on using these... 'sacred' powers as an offensive means..."  
Madas' eyebrows rose so much that they nearly touched his hairline. "Princess." He paused and sighed, realizing that a softer approach would be better this time. "Zelda, you mortals have a strange preconceptions about power. Din herself designed it to be neutral. It is the mortal mind that has a need to define it."  
Zelda frowned, letting those words sink into her mind. It was a very new concept for her, so it took a few moments to wrap her mind around it. "So you are saying that... I'm the one to shape my powers? That I can do whatever I want with them? That... That I could... destroy..?"  
"Pretty much. Though I'm sure you will never go on a destructive rampage, you could pretty much do such a thing." Madas handed the staff back to Zelda and smiled. "My own powers falls into the 'dark' category, but do you see me leveling cities and killing innocents? Just because something is dark, it's not necessarily evil."  
"Just as something light is not necessarily good." Zelda finished for him, her mind going to the holy captain that had pretty much betrayed her.  
Everyone decided to take a break after the little... incident... with the staff, but the words Madas spoke stuck in all of their heads.   
Power wasn’t good. It wasn’t evil either.   
It just was.

For Ganondorf, this was a comfort. Having run his whole life from the burdens of the twisted power, this freedom to choose was a blessing. Yet for Zelda it was less than comforting. Suddenly there wasn’t a guarantee that she was the all-loving, benevolent deity she was always told she was. Everything suddenly seemed up in the air. This newfound freedom was also a lot of responsibility, and though she was more than capable of taking it on, it was still scary.  
“Wait, I though you said you would teach us to use our conduit abilities, Madas?” Ganondorf said suddenly, “But we just did sword training and stuff...”  
Madas suddenly looked very sagely, sipping a steaming cup of what Zelda assumed was tea (it would complete the aesthetic), “Yes. But the first step to mastering your powers is mastering yourself. You can’t hope to deliver a strike with the force of a divine hammer behind you when you don’t know how to properly strike.” 

Zelda nodded. After all, she’d suspected that Madas was up to something when he’d first started this exercise. And what he had said made complete sense. She’d have liked to train more, but the darkness was falling and they should probably get to bed before the long journey tomorrow.   
Apparently it was going to get real hot really soon around here.  
And it did. The group first started to feel it around the end of the morning, a creeping heat that almost seemed to follow them and beat down from every direction like a relentlessly marching army coming for their defences. It amazed Zelda how comfortable Ganondorf seemed in this environment. While he’d been sluggish in the muddy and wet Kakariko, he suddenly seemed lively and full of energy. She was pretty sure he could run a few miles like this if he wanted too. It now seemed like he was waiting for them, not the other way around. He walked tall, a bit of joy filling his face. It occurred to Zelda that these conditions probably reminded him of his long-lost home. It must be quite nice.  
For him at least.  
Herself, on the other hand, was beginning to learn what a teabag felt like.

Madas was faring much better than she was, though not as happy with the heat as Ganondorf. He was used to climate changes, and could pretty much weather anything from extreme cold to extreme heat, to yes, extreme wetness like swamps and seas.  
Still, he stopped in his tracks and sighed. His gaze was turned up to the top of the mountain and its black plume of smoke. "Before we go further on, though, we need to find some ingredients," he said. "The last thing I want is to burst into flames and turn to ashes."  
Zelda could only agree. Death by fire was not something she wished to try. Actually, she just didn't want to try any kind of death. Judging by the few hints Madas had delivered, dying was not very funny. She'd rather reserve that for when she was old and too done with the world to care.  
"We should be able to find some plants around here," Madas said, looking around. "Or red lizards..."

It didn’t take too long for Madas to round up some supplies. He lit a fire and started cooking down the ingredients into a makeshift pot. After a while, some sprinkling of spices and a dash of hot oil on Ganondorf (Madas swore it was an accident), the deity stepped away from the pot. “Well, that needs to cook for a while. Those lizards are really tough. I figure, while we’ve got time, why don’t we do another lesson? You guys seem to have a decent command of fighting, so I won’t worry too much about that. (Though we will spend a few minutes refining techniques.... especially you, Ganondorf). But why don’t I start to show you guys some focusing techniques and stuff for your power?”  
Zelda nodded vigorously. She wanted to avoid another ‘accidentally-blasting-your-friend-into-a-wall’ incident. Ganondorf was a little more reluctant, but eventually nodded, “I want to be able to control it so I don’t accidentally hurt someone...”   
Madas smiled. He was looking forwards to seeing what they could all do together. “But, first! Technical training!” he smiled evilly inside. If they knew what was coming, they would be groaning.   
Part of him took great satisfaction in that fact.

…

“Ow.” Zelda gasped after a very trying thirty or so minutes.   
Ganondorf slumped to the ground, “My pain has pain...”   
“You guys want to do focusing techniques now?” Madas asked, entirely too cheerily for the others, who gave him a half-death glare. They were too exhausted to manage a full one.   
“Focus?” Zelda choked out, “I can’t feel my legs how do you expect me to focus?!?!?”   
“Okay then, we can do more technical training!” the war god quipped back  
“NONNONONONONNONONO!” Ganondorf screamed, “Focusing is good! Focusing is great!”  
Zelda just nodded, overcome by exhaustion.  
Madas laughed, and then sat down. It was time to show them what they could truly do with their power.  
Zelda and Ganondorf quickly matched the deity's position, trying their best to not groan in pain. A hard task to achieve when every single muscle and bone hurt after that half an hour of insane physical training Madas had put them through.  
"So," Zelda started, massaging her ankles and hoping they would regain some semblance of feeling. "How are we going to do this? I know my share of meditation techniques, but I doubt you are planning on that."  
The deity lifted a corner of his mouth in a half grin. "Something similar, so you have an advantage, but not entirely. I'm sure you have been taught to look within yourself for your powers, yes?"  
The princess nodded, surprised at how much Madas knew of the inner workings of the temple and its monks. She was always told that these were secret teachings, and that no one outside their small and holy circle should know. "Yes. Reach within myself to draw out the powers Hylia has granted me. By doing that, I am able to heal injuries, and, theoretically, seal things. But I never tried that before."  
"What if..." here Madas paused and leaned forward. "What if I told you your will can give that power an actual shape, and not just be a formless light that will disperse into nothingness a few inches away from your hands?"  
He reached forward and grabbed one of the many small twigs from the pile they had collected for the fire, but had not used. He held it up, to show how harmless and normal it was. "Can be done with nothing but your mind, but often easier to do with the help of a... conduit. Can be anything really."  
And he swung the twig downwards with an ease practiced through countless lives.  
And before anyone could ask, what could be described as a very large blade of energy traveled forward accompanied by a sound that neither Zelda nor Ganondorf had ever heard before, then just dissipated into the air when it met no obstacle.  
"You have already done this, Zelda," Madas said. "But not willingly and still more of a blast than anything else. Hopefully I can help you achieve the control you need before we all blow up."

Ganondorf could finally see it.  
He could see why the Sheikah people often spoke of Madas' battles as epic tales. At first he couldn't believe it when he heard the elders tell those tales to the young kids, but now he had the proof.  
With that kind of control over his powers, Madas would own the battlefield even if he had nothing more than an old sword in his hands. He didn't even need a refined fighting technique to do this. All he had to do was swing it around and the energy blades would cut down anything that they met.  
Madas effortlessly pulled the stick back into a defensive position. “I’m sure that spoke for itself. Though, when you master the technique with the weapons you have now it will likely be more powerful. If you use a stronger material, you can channel better.” He pulled out his sword from the sheath and looked at his reflection in the trusty blade. “Though I don’t want to try that right now, given my recent... ahem... problems.” Sitting down, the Deity looked at Zelda, “You have more experience. Why don’t you try this first?”   
The princess got up, supporting the weight of her exhausted body on the staff she had grabbed. Once she’d gotten enough balance, she picked up the wooden rod and held it out in front of her (and away from Madas). She turned her focus inwards, pulling out of herself the light. She made it warm, focusing her mind on a shape and form. She thought of happy times, days Impa would take her out on the moat in a small raggedy boat and try and make the princess feel free. Sometimes, there would even be a stray water lily floating on the water and she’d catch a glimpse before it was removed for ‘aesthetic and security reasons’.   
When she opened her eyes, there was a delicate white flower perched upon the tip of her staff. She gasped and it floated away, slowly dissolving into the empty air. 

Madas smiled, “That was good. That was very good. I’m impressed you managed to shape such a complex object on your first try. Though I suppose I shouldn’t be, Impa did train you...”   
Zelda smiled and sat down, looking to her Gerudo companion. “You should try, Ganondorf!”  
Ganondorf looked awkwardly down at the sword in his hands, unsure. This new power was his, and it didn’t seem to hurt him, but channeling it so directly like this? It scared him. But he’d have to do it eventually or risk losing control. He rather feel a bit uncomfortable than hurt (or goddess-forbid, worse) an innocent.   
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ganondorf stepped up. Making sure he was a good distance away from his companions, he climbed up to a small precipice just above and slightly away from the group.   
After all, he wasn’t sure exactly what he could do.   
Zelda had said looking inside helped, so he turned his eyes inwards. He could feel, inside, emotions he had always tried to suppress. Contempt for this golden world. Anger for the injustice. Frustration with everyone chasing him away and for him running. And beneath everything, a cold, empty feeling of loneliness. Sadness for always being turned away. The empty feeling of knowing that you aren’t wanted, anywhere.   
But...  
That wasn’t all...  
No, there was something else...  
Strength.   
He was in control. And through his life, somehow, he hadn’t let his will be broken. Despite the whole wide world doing nothing to help him.   
He was in control, Ganondorf repeated to himself. Staring at his reflection in Demise’s- no, his- blade, he honed his mind, using it to shape the raging tide inside him. He could feel the power yearning to come out after thousands of years of being suppressed by him, Demise, and all the other conduits.   
He thought of what he wanted, a raging beast to fight by his side, a creature of pure force that he could control and then told the power to release, release, release...

“That’s a wonderful puff of purple smoke, Ganondorf...” Madas commented, laughing a little, “Looks like you still need a little practice...”  
"Stop teasing, you!" Zelda slapped the deity's shoulder in reprimand, but she had an amused smile herself. "This stuff takes years of practice, and I'm sure you had your own share of it."  
Madas laughed openly. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I came to be already able to do... ah... 'god stuff'."  
The princess rolled her eyes and slapped the deity again. "Madas! Be kind to us poor mortals!"  
That sent the god into another fit of laughter so loud that his voice echoed off the mountain's walls for a while even after he stopped. "We've been traveling together for a while now. I thought it was enough time to learn that I'm not like Hylia, or how I am described in the old records."  
"Yes, yes." Zelda grabbed the tip of Madas' ear and gently tugged at it. "I know of your need to make any dire situation look lighter than it is, but Ganondorf is trying. Give him credit."

Ganondorf sat down near Zelda and sighed. A part of him was dejected at his failure, another was well aware that his display must have looked ridiculous to someone like Madas (so he couldn't really fault him for finding it funny), and another one was thoroughly happy that Zelda was not only understanding him, but also defending him.  
"Ah, don't worry man," Madas reached past Zelda and slapped Ganondorf's back. "You’ve got potential, you just need to figure out how to do it. Besides, it's better to go at it with a laugh rather than let anger and hate cloud your mind."  
Zelda pushed the deity away and rolled her eyes once again. "You're not much of a teacher, are you?" She then turned her attention to the Gerudo and smiled softly. "What Madas said is right, especially considering the dark nature of your powers. Unfortunately, our resident deity has no idea how hard it is for a mortal to focus the way you need to. Not when you have all these other thoughts distracting you."  
"I promise you it'll be second nature once you learn it!" Madas quipped from behind her, only to be pushed away once again by the princess.   
"I will be the one to guide you through this. Madas can help us with the more practical stuff." Zelda smiled once again. "And you will be able to do this sooner than you think."  
Ganondorf nodded, he certainly would appreciate not only the princesses help, but her encouragement and a chance to spend time with her...  
Wait, what was he thinking?!?  
Also, why did it smell like something was burning?  
Madas’ eyes suddenly widened as he glanced over to the forgotten pot of stewing lizards, which was smoking a very ugly-looking and not normal colour. “Uh-oh...” the deity gasped, throwing himself over to the pot, which he hurriedly pulled off of the fire. Zelda and Ganondorf crowded over his shoulder as he, slowly, ever so slowly, pulled the lid off, scared of what he’d find.   
The liquid let off a very burnt stench as Madas opened the pot, and what he assumed were the hunks or lizard meat drifted around the pot as burnt chunks of flesh. Thankfully, the broth and other ingredients seemed relatively okay, just a little... crispy.   
“Mmm,” Zelda licked her lips sarcastically, “Over-seared lizard... just what I wanted for dinner!”  
“House special!” Ganondorf replied, laughing, “I thought you said you knew how to cook these things!”   
Madas scowled, “I do, I swear!”  
Zelda raised an eyebrow, “Then what exactly, Madas, is happening in that pot?”   
“I... I got distracted...” the war god reluctantly admitted.  
“You should have let me cook....” Ganondorf stated, amusement twinkling in his eyes, “I can make a pretty mean stew.”  
Zelda couldn’t help a little giggle at the image of Ganondorf in an apron charging into the royal kitchens that suddenly appeared in her head, “You can?”  
Suddenly the large man’s confidence dissolved, “Well, Yeah, u-uh.... I’ve kind of had to make do and scavenge a lot of stuff and cook it together a lot soooo.....”   
Madas threw Ganondorf the spoon, his face suddenly lit with the weight of a life-or-death gravity, “If you can find anything that can somewhat save this disaster then I will give you a freaking medal.” Then his serious face dissolved and he couldn’t help laughing at himself, “I really fudged this one up, didn’t I?”  
Ganondorf grabbed the spoon out of the air, with a smirk, “Yup. I’ll go see if I can find anything.”   
He looked incredulously at the pot, “Though I’m not sure that this mess is redeemable...” 

With that, the large man got up to go look for some seasoning and stuff while Madas and Zelda waited for the pot to cool down.  
Zelda took the time to think, her thoughts suddenly turning inwards. Despite being separated from everything she’d ever known, she only felt... free. It made her realize just how miserable her life as ‘Hylia’ had been. All pageantry and posturing and never taking any time to think about what she wanted or assert herself. Out here, however, she was finding a new strength. A fearlessness that allowed her to conquer her doubts and run into the face of danger together with her new companions. She tied her staff to her back with a loop of fabric, suddenly thankful for Impa’s training in the Sheika techniques and arts of battle. Her father had said it would be useless. That a goddess never had to fight. But part of Zelda was glad that she was vulnerable now, away from protection and in danger. It gave her a chance to figure out who she truly was. And be more than just a secondary character in her own story.

"Man... and we need this thing to climb Death Mountain..."  
Zelda turned her attention to Madas and noticed how his face had suddenly gained a hint of worry. "Maybe it's still effective?" she moved a little forward and peered inside at the mess. "The broth is still good."  
The deity sighed and leaned away from the pot with a resigned expression. "Yes, but it'll be less effective. We'll have to rush it, or catch fire halfway to Goron Village. And trust me, burns are not fun."  
The princess hummed, wondering what kind of burns and other wounds Madas had experienced during his past lives. Must have been a lot since he seemed familiar with everything. "You know... for being an active and very present god," Zelda said after a while, "You sure lack the fame. I mean... you obviously have experienced a lot, and probably have gotten involved in a lot of crises like this one, yet there are no records of you outside the Sheikah tribe. Just that old and forgotten book I used to summon you. I find that... ungrateful from our part."  
"Curious as ever, I see," Madas gave a tiny smile, but did not look at her. Instead, he kept looking forward, into the distance and at something that only he seemed to see. "It's true that outside of Kakariko I am not known, but I don't mind. Besides, there are records of me in the books. You just don't know where to look."

Zelda spluttered at those words and her eyes crossed when Madas waved her concern away with a laugh. Of the three deities that came after the three Golden Ones, she felt that he deserved far more than what he currently had. People should at least know of his presence, that he was forced into this absurd cycle because of not only Demise, but because of Hylia as well. They should know that out of the three, he was the most balanced one and that he truly cared, whereas the other two were such extremists that would only harm mortals in the long run.  
"You should..." Zelda licked her lips and looked at the deity seriously. "You deserve praise, Madas. For everything you do when us mortals are too blind to see the bigger picture. We... we should-"  
"Worship me instead of Hylia?" Madas' smile had faded away and now the deity had a neutral face. "Please, don't. Above all, I'm a warrior. My place is on the field, not on a pedestal. I leave that to Hylia since she likes it that much."

Zelda chuckled despite the mood. Leave it to Madas to be able to always lift sour moods. "Alright," she conceded. "But I still think people should know about you. I mean... the real you. You know... the god-you. Not... whoever you pose as when people write down the stories. Because it's obvious that whoever it is, it is not a deity, but a mortal. Otherwise the stories would be told everyday in the temples. Who is that anyway?"  
She crossed her arms and looked at the god sternly, waiting and hoping that her face would move him into delivering an answer. Not an easy feat to do when Madas found her face funny and laughed even more.  
"Am I missing something here?"  
Ganondorf's voice made her turn her head away from the deity and look at the Gerudo walking back to camp with a small satchel clutched in his hand. He looked a bit burnt at the edges and Zelda lifted an eyebrow in wonder.  
"Let me guess," Madas quipped from his spot near the fire. "You had a close encounter with a fire breathing Lizalfos."  
"Stupid critter wouldn't leave me alone, so I threw it down a cliff." Ganondorf patted his pants with a hand to get rid of some of the sooth. "It came up and managed to breath fire on me before I could punch it to the moon."  
Madas laughed, but stopped as soon as Zelda lightly slapped him on the head. "You still haven't answered my question." She reprimanded.  
Madas paused. He was afraid to give them the truth, but he knew they wouldn’t stop asking until he did. Still, he was scared what they would think. What Ganondorf would think.   
He could spin a yarn. Tell them a lie. Or defer and hope Zelda’s curiosity didn’t drag it out of him. But the watchful eyes of his companions told him he needed to decide. Now.


	12. Forgetfulness and Truth

Madas shrugged and brushed the princess’ response off, “It really doesn’t matter...”  
Meanwhile, Ganondorf was sprinkling some sort of something into the mess that was supposed to be the fireproof soup, “If you’re being that dodgy about it, then it probably is very important.”  
Zelda smiled. It was nice to have someone to back her up. She turned to Madas and put her hands under her head and just... stared.  
After quite a few seconds of terse silence, Madas slowly ventured a response,”Ummm... I mean that staring is a little creepy so if you could just like... stop maybe?”   
Zelda kept staring, “Sure, Madas, once you tell me.”   
Ganondorf (who’d been messing around with the soup) burst out laughing. Raising an eyebrow, he turned to face the two, “Looks like she’s got you there...”   
Madas eventually broke, slumping his shoulders. “Fine, fine I’ll tell you, alright?”   
Zelda blinked a few times, curiosity finding its way into her eyes. Finally, she’d know the identity of the mysterious god they were travelling with! It felt exciting and scary both at the same time.   
Madas blinked slowly, taking a deep breath, “Well, I’ve already told you I normally go by Link when I walk among mortals, and typically use that name for a bit of anonymity, but the name the legends and stories like to call me is....” he took a deep breath, “The hero of time.” 

Ganondorf suddenly stopped, surprise filling his features, midway through a sip of the slightly improved soup. Regaining his wits, he turned away from the pot and spit out the liquid out of complete shock, “WHAT?!?!?”  
Madas became pensive and looked into the distance. "I see the name is familiar to you," he said. "While I do have many other... names, Hero of Time is certainly the most famous and most recorded.”  
Zelda took in a deep breath. She HAD heard of the stories. Heck, she had studied them down to every particular because she had been utterly fascinated by them. A boy that traveled back and forth through time to save Hyrule, no matter what the dangers were. He was hailed as Hylia's chosen champion. Sometimes even close to divinity himself due to the goddess' choice and his ability to wield the fabled Master Sword.  
Though most of those stories seemed to be excessively pumped up by the populace, Zelda had always thought that there was a truth beneath it all.  
And what truth that was!

The Fierce Deity and the one who bears the Hero's Spirit where the same person all along. Hylia probably had never chosen her champion because a mortal had shown her superb qualities, but because of his divine origins to begin with. What better choice to give the task of warding off the forces of evil to the one person that had been doing that since the beginning?  
"That... that..." Zelda whispered, a hand going to cover her mouth. "She took advantage of your curse, didn't she?"  
The only reply she received was a small shrug. "I have a choice to refuse the... ah... call," Madas replied. "And help in other ways rather than fighting. Hyrule kingdom tends to crumble then, but sometimes it NEEDS to. Too much corruption to save it."  
Ganondorf cringed and felt his heart take a huge leap in his chest. He was starting to consider himself really lucky to be on friendly terms with the deity, because from what he could remember from the stories of the Hero of Time, from the glimpses of power displayed by the god, AND his words... well... the Gerudo knew for sure that he was sitting right next to the only person who could decide the fate of the land and make sure it followed his decision.  
Which came down to either save it or let it burn.  
"Remind me to never get on your bad side," Ganondorf muttered.  
Madas nodded slowly, concern filling his suddenly vulnerable-looking eyes, “I hope... I hope this doesn’t change what you think of me... Please remember that the legends aren’t always accurate. I’ve tried my best...”   
Zelda and Ganondorf looked at each other. Suddenly everything made sense, all the deception, the subterfuge about his true identity. The dodginess hidden under jokes, deity-like aloofness and the light mood that the war god always seemed to make. Madas was scared. Probably the strongest one out of all of them was scared. Scared that fear would change how they saw him, or that awe would make them expect so much more or treat him differently. Because all he truly wanted was to be how he was in Kakariko, walking among the people, respected but treated as part of everything... as a human.   
As a friend.

“Madas,” Zelda said softly, laying her hand over the deity’s delicate fingers, “Though this may be a shock to us, I’m sure we will both continue to judge you as who your actions show you to be, and what we perceive with our good judgement. I should know, as everyone’s ‘golden goddess’ how much people tend to over-inflate what they see as holy or heroic, especially over time and in this world we live in now. I - and I’m sure Ganondorf feels the same way - certainly owe it to all that you’ve done for us to treat you how you’d want to be treated, and to give the kindness right back to you. Even if you don’t want or ask for it.”  
Ganondorf shrugged awkwardly. The princess sure was good with words and this whole ‘comforting’ thing. He was glad for it. There was no way he could have mustered anything like that, “Yeah, um, what she said.... nothing has really changed... I mean in regards to...” he put his head in his large hand, “Goddess, I'm bad at this...”  
Madas smiled a little, joy having slightly returned to the war god’s face as he gave the two of them a grateful smile. Still, he seemed sad and distant, and the mood quickly grew cold and stifling. Something suddenly occurred to Ganondorf. He’d always been too direct and blunt about things and the state of the world to be much of a comfort, but maybe he could show the war god another way. Maybe, if he could lighten things up like Madas always seemed to do and bring it back to the easy banter, he could show the war god that things are still the same, even if he didn’t know how to say that. He struggled for the right words, the camp filling with an uneasy silence and tension. 

After a while he spoke, “I’m sure you’re wondering how this mess of a soup is coming...” he started, feeling awkward about everything and oh god why was he doing this, “It still tastes like burnt lizard- thanks Madas- but I think I’ve saved it somewhat at least...”  
The war god, still clearly uncomfortable, shuffled over and stuck the spoon into the soup, tasting it. He smiled and the Gerudo man, “That does taste better. Sorry for my lack of cooking skills.”   
“Sure, sure.” Ganondorf sniped back, “But next time we do something new can we figure out who doesn’t suck at it first?”  
Zelda giggled a little, realizing what the large man was doing, “That was a pretty impressive mess, honestly, it takes talent to burn lizard that much without burning the broth or anything else... I mean how does that actually happen? It’s a fireproof lizard, Madas. How do you burn a FIREPROOF lizard?”  
Madas laughed, joining Zelda. The princess shot a smile at Ganondorf while Madas was bent over. Somehow, he’d been able to bring them all back to themselves. And that was just want they (and especially Madas) needed.  
"Remind me to learn how to cook when all this is over." Madas glared at the pot with all the contempt he could muster. "I've been meaning to since a few lifetimes ago, but between this and that... well... you can guess why I haven't gotten down to it."  
Zelda snorted. "Next time someone says that gods have it easy and all the time in the world, I will slap them on the mouth. Really... the more I spend time with you, the more I realize gods aren't that different from us, right? You are just... more powerful and immortal."  
"Smart as ever, princess," Madas replied as he produced several empty bottles from his seemingly bottomless bag. "You will be a good ruler." He paused and frowned. "Providing those idiots at the castle can listen to you. Where did you send all the smart people?"

That was a question Ganondorf wanted the answer too. There was no way that the king would let morons play with sharp things around his 'precious' daughter, and every time he thought about it he felt like there was something bigger going on within those 'holy' walls. The recent problems with the captain of the holy guard seemed to confirm that.  
"Well..." Zelda seemed as much at a loss as the Gerudo was. She was scratching her head in a way that expressed both embarrassment and confusion. "I'm not sure? They have been like that since I can remember... I think the good ones are sent on missions near the borders? I don't know why since we have good relationships with the neighboring kingdoms..."  
"Sounds fishy to me," Ganondorf replied. He was currently filling the bottles that Madas had handed him with the lizard's soupy mess so that they wouldn't risk running out while on top of a fiery mountain. "Maybe that man was planning this since years ago. It would be more than easy to seize control if all the guards were incompetent. What's his name anyway?"  
Madas blinked at the Gerudo, gave a shrug, then turned his attention to the princess. "He's right. That man never introduced himself to us. Care to fill us in?"  
Zelda frowned, “Come to think of it, I don’t really remember when that man came to the palace all that well... his name - or at least what he calls himself - is Captain Drekko. Says he’s from a small village in Hyrule, and has never been that specific about where that small village is, now that I think about it. He came to the palace upon recommendation by the city guard, who said he’d performed some sort of ‘exemplary service’. I guess nobody really asked questions because I don’t really know what exactly he did, either. I remember that he got quickly promoted, again with seemingly no explanation, and he’s been serving as the Captain for, oh, about five years now. Time enough to plan something I guess...”

Zelda’s frown deepened with every word. The more she thought about it, the more it didn’t make sense. Why take this nobody guard from the city whose name and deed had gone unrecognized and unnamed and promote him so quickly? Suddenly a conversation from around the time he’d been promoted popped into her head.  
And as if a fog had been lifted, she remembered…

...

Zelda was young, her fingers tapping impatiently upon the desk as she waited for another day of boring yet apparently worthwhile ‘goddess lessons’ to commence. It didn’t help things that her teacher was late, and through the old tutor was almost always late, when she herself showed up even a few seconds after the designated start time, she was heavily chastised. Almost on the cue of being fifteen minutes late, the teacher frantically burst into the room, “My apologies, dearest Hylia. I had to change the records...” the old tutor gasped, throwing out yet another excuse for his behaviour. It wasn’t like Zelda wasn’t used to it. Though the wizened old crack sure knew their stuff, they were constantly late. It seemed sometimes like she was the only one held to any sort of standard, though she had to admit, the palace guard was diligent and Captain Verra always did her job promptly and properly. Plus, her twin brother Lione oversaw Zelda’s personal guard with a gracious ease.   
“What was wrong with the records?” Zelda asked, her relentless curiosity gripping her suddenly.  
“They needed to be changed.” the teacher replied, almost mechanically, “There was incorrectness.”  
Realizing she would get anywhere with that tact, Zelda smiled and put on her best attentive face, “Well the records are such an important part of our glorious society, so I naturally must know about them!” she beamed happily, “They have our history and ranks and everything important about our world hidden beneath their pages! Why don’t you educate me on this wondrous system that allows us to protect our history so well!”   
The teacher, surprised by Zelda’s sudden enthusiasm, beamed back. “Sure!” happy that their pupil was finally taking an interest in their teaching, the tutor led Zelda down to the record rooms, “This here is the rank and filing system, this is our written history, this is the stories of Hylia and the hero of time and their sworn enemy Demise, and here is the records and background checks of all your guardsmen....” the teacher droned on and on and on, but Zelda nodded, pretending to be listening as she rifled through the stack of paper. Captain Verra had said she was dating someone and refused to tell the princess, and Zelda wondered if she might be able to discretely find the info by herself... though if only to satisfy personal curiosity.   
She looked under guards, going from a to b to c all the way down until she’d found v.   
Wait. That wasn’t right.  
Right next to the slot of guards labelled ‘v’, where there should have been the names of the twins who had so diligently cared for her, there was only dust and smudges, as if the papers had been removed or something.... “Teacher,” she asked slowly, “Where is Captain Verra and Lione?”   
The teacher, looking again so mechanical, turned their head towards the princess, “Who?”

...

Zelda gasped, suddenly struck by a feeling of loss and dumbness. How had she forgotten the captain that came before that mangy piece of garbage that called himself her captain now?  
Unless it wasn’t an accident that she’d forgotten.   
In that case, the real question was, what had happened to the Verra twins?  
Zelda pressed her hand to her forehead and groaned. If her forgetfulness wasn't an accident, how much had she forgotten? What else important there was that she could not remember? Suddenly, her 'golden life' wasn't much of a life, but more of a machination controlled by other people? Was she the only case, or there were other people being controlled? Her father, maybe?  
"So that's why I was surrounded by idiots and overzealous morons..." she whispered. "They were put there on purpose... so that he could do... whatever he's planning..."  
"And here I thought my own tribe was bad..." Ganondorf quipped from his spot near the pot. He was still filling bottles as he spoke, as if this was just a normal conversation about the weather. "And that you had the perfect life..."  
Zelda groaned and hid her face into her hands. All her life she had been manipulated into thinking everything was normal. She had been so blinded by her ignorance and naivete that she hadn't noticed something was wrong until the captain himself told her upfront.  
"What you want me to do then?"  
Madas' calm voice came to a surprise and the princess looked up at the deity. His stern expression froze her on the spot. "What... what do you mean?" She asked, almost stupidly. "Aren't we already doing something?"  
"You summoned me, Princess," he said. "We forged a deal, and while it was a loose one about helping you solve this without bloodshed, I will not object if you change your mind. Your kingdom has been corrupted."  
By how his words sounded, Zelda understood that Madas was seeing no redeeming quality right now.  
"If it was for me, I'd let it rot," Ganondorf gave a shrug. "I'm not an expert, but corruption is hard to eradicate once it has rooted itself so deeply. Madas is right. Sometimes, destruction is needed. Like a fire burning down an old forest so that new trees can grow in."  
Zelda frowned, “But, all it took was outsiders like you guys asking a few of the right questions for me to remember, right? What if we could get everyone to listen to the right questions? Like stage something and then make them all remember.... I understand that sometimes things must be burned down, but I’d prefer to try and preserve my kingdom first! I still believe that there might be a way to fix this.... we just have to try, we just have to show them...”   
Madas nodded, “What you’re saying is true. It’s clever, but all in all, it seems like a frail enchantment. Perhaps that is possible, but no one would listen to me or Ganondorf, and likely not you either from what you’ve told us. It’s a hard ask princess...”  
“Isn’t it worth it?” Zelda asked, “Yes, the world is terrible but can’t we try to fix it before letting everything be destroyed and causing all the pain of loss and anguish and everything else that would come from that?“  
Her words hung in the air like a fragile line of silk. Everything hung on this moment... this question.  
Was their world still savable?


	13. Much-Needed R&R (With A Side Order Of Awkwardness)

Two days later found Zelda still troubled by the situation. It was true that she desperately wanted to save her kingdom and the people, but the more she thought that it was some of those people (well, one mainly) that had put her into this chaos... well, her anger just grew and grew.  
It grew to the point where at times she had to put a real effort into following through with her plan.  
She glanced at Madas as he took the lead and walked up the path that would bring them to Goron city. He looked calm and composed, and- when he wasn't- he cracked jokes that made her and Ganondorf laugh despite the dire situation.  
"So, how much further?" Ganondorf asked once they turned a particularly sharp bend in the path. "We've been hiking up the mountain for a while now, and we're almost out of fireproof elixirs."  
"Not long," Madas replied with a small grin. "A few more bends and a bridge over a lake of lava and we're there."  
"Lake of lava..." Zelda murmured unimpressed. "Joy..."  
Madas shrugged, “At least there’s a bridge. These elixirs work on fire but not lava. That stuff is on another level...”  
Zelda nodded. She supposed she should count her blessings but everything just felt off. The world seemed so crappy, and she didn’t feel particularly good about anything. Usually she was the one keeping them optimistic about people and the world, but she just couldn’t manage lately. She supposed she was finally feeling the effects of running away from everything she’d ever known. Perhaps in the beginning she’d thought of it as all one ‘grand adventure’ but it was becoming more and more apparent that this was in fact a much more dire situation. And somehow it didn’t feel good to have the weight of the world suddenly on her shoulders. (Not that it wasn’t something that she was used to, being the ‘golden goddess’ and everything but... she guessed it was wearing on her more now in light of the recent discoveries about her life and the universe.) Bundling herself up, she took a deep breath. For now, she just had to be strong, and remember that this feeling likely wouldn’t last forever.  
After all, even princesses had bad days.

Contrary to Zelda, however, Ganondorf was having the time of his life. Not just because he was hiking up a mountain with his friends, but because the mountain itself had a beauty he would have never expected out of an active volcano. True, forests and plains filled with green and life were beautiful, but the Gerudo found himself drawn to the... chaotic formations that molten rock was constantly producing.  
Though it wasn't the same, the constant shift in the landscape vaguely reminded him of the sand dunes dancing in the wind back in the desert.  
This is why the world needs as much destruction as it needs order… his inner voice whispered.  
Now... if only Demise and Hylia could agree on that and stop dragging them all into this stupid cycle...  
"Oh! There it is!" Madas exclaimed. He was pointing at something in the distance that vaguely resembled a village. "The home of Gorons!"  
He popped the cap of the last fire elixir, chugging one-third of it and handing the other parts to his companions. Striding boldly off, he left them to follow in his sure footsteps. After all, he’d been through this route many times before. And- true to form- it didn’t take long for them to reach the multi-layered village home of his favorite rolling friends. Especially the last part, which involved a desperate sprint for the shop in the hopes of finding a fire elixir before they all burned up.

Ganondorf slammed a purse of coins on the table, smoking and gasping. He liked heat, but this was a bit too much. The Goron shopkeep smiled knowingly, grabbing three potions off of the shelf and handing one to each of the companions. “These should last longer than whatever you guys were using. Normally travellers can make it to the city before... this happens.”  
Zelda (who’s hair was smouldering by this point) frowned deeply at Madas, “And whose fault is that?!?”  
“HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE?!?!?!?” the war god demanded.  
“You can stop apologizing when we stop smoking.” commented Ganondorf, chugging the anti-death-by-Fire juice, and earning a chuckle from the shopkeep.  
Looking closer at the companions, the shopkeep frowned, “Have I seen you somewhere before?” the Goron asked quizzically. His eyes turned to a poster on the wall. It depicted Madas with a giant WANTED banner underneath a crude drawing of the deity’s features. Thankfully, though, Madas’ hair had been thoroughly dyed with all the ash and soot from the mountain, and was now a pretty solid black colour. Plus, Zelda looked nothing like the perfect, primped up drawing of the goddess that was said to be captured. Ganondorf wasn’t even on the poster. But would there still be enough of a resemblance?  
The shopkeep’s eyes looked to the poster, to them, and then to the poster again, confusion deepening on their face every time. After a while, the frown relaxed, “Naw, I’ve got the wrong people, sorry. Everyone has just been so on edge since Hylia was kidnapped... it’s already been almost a couple of weeks and everyone is frantic searching for her.” Zelda awkwardly smiled, nodding slowly. I’m RIGHT HERE, she internally screamed as the shopkeep continued, “The inn is just a little bit this way if you guys want to relax for the night...”

Suddenly the door burst open with a whoosh of hot air as a huge and kind of intimidating Goron stepped commandingly into the shop. “I NEED SOME MILK!” shouted a very large, commanding voice.  
“Rock milk, Lord Darunia?” asked the shopkeep, suddenly very timid.  
“OF COURSE! THAT’S WHAT I ALWAYS GET!”  
The group of adventurers looked at each other with very confused expressions. Suddenly, the large Goron’s eyes went to them, “AND JUST WHO ARE YOU SORRY-LOOKING LOT?”  
Zelda's mouth proceeded to do a perfect impression of a fish out of the water. "Uh... uhm... we..."  
"We are travelers seeking the best sights that Hyrule can offer!" Madas quickly exclaimed before the princess could say something that would land them in prison. "And we heard that Goron City was one of such beauties! The bright of the orange fires starkly contrasting with the bluest sky!"  
Darunia's confusion was immediately replaced with the biggest grin anyone had seen on someone's face and- considering the gorons had pretty large mouths- it was a big grin. "You heard right!" he bellowed, slapping a hand over his belly. The thundering that came off it felt more like a huge drum rather than anything else. "You can get the best view of the entirety of Hyrule from here, but the real good one is from the old hot spring at the end of the path! Those waters are a miracle worker on both you hylians and us gorons! You have to check it out!"  
Zelda looked at herself, then at her two companions. "I guess a bath wouldn't be a bad idea..." she just hoped that they had enough fire elixir in them to last long enough to not boil alive while bathing. "You said at the end of the path, but what path?"  
Darunia laughed and slapped the girl onto the back, sending her crashing against Ganondorf. "There are only three paths in Goron City. One leads down the mountain. One leads up to the mines. Last one takes you the spring. There is no mistaking them."  
Ganondorf put his arm around the princess unconsciously, making sure she didn’t fall over. Seeing the two’s interaction, the Goron raised a large, rocky eyebrow, “You two seem... close.” he commented, “Seems odd for a couple to travel with a third wheel....”  
Madas burst out in a fit of laughter, tears welling up in his eyes as both princess and Gerudo turned a shade of red deep enough to match the bright rocks and fire surrounding them. “I-I-it’s not like that...” Ganondorf stammered awkwardly as Zelda shuffled away and rubbed the back of her neck.  
Darunia laughed again, a great booming things that came out of his belly and travelled to his mouth like a steamroller. He grabbed a sack of rock milk from the counter, still chuckling as he walked out of the store.  
“Well...” Madas burst out once his two companions had stopped being awkward, “That just happened...”  
“We... should ... um... take a bath! Yeah that’s what we should do! Let’s go!” Zelda spurted out, her mind finishing the statement with an internally-screamed, SO I CAN GET AWAY FROM THIS DISCOMFORT. She strode quickly out of the shop, leaving the shopkeep with the most confused expression on his face as Madas shrugged and followed and Ganondorf shuffled with extreme discomfort out of the store.

Striding determinedly up the path, the princess did easily find the hot springs (it seems the large Goron- Darunia, was it?- was true to his word). She sighed with relief, glad that the group had something to do other than stew in their own awkwardness. Though, she supposed, it was just her and Ganondorf, She felt so stupid. Normally she could react to even the dumbest comments with grace and ease taught to her by years at court, but the mere suggestion of a relationship between her and the large man had just sent her into such a panic. At least she didn’t have to deal with or think about that anymore...  
Suddenly her brain decided to hit her with a very unpleasant thought. Wait, it shoved into the forefront of her consciousness, Don’t people usually bathe without very much clothing?  
Zelda’s eyes widened as a very undignified ‘kkkttt’ spat itself out of her mouth. If she wanted to avoid awkwardness, this certainly wasn’t the way to do it.  
But it wasn’t like there was any turning back now. After all, she didn’t want to get on that Goron’s bad side, and if he found out they’d gone to and from his precious gem of a hot springs...  
Zelda shivered. She supposed she just had to deal with the consequences of her decisions, and hope things didn’t get too uncomfortable. Though, knowing Ganondorf, that was highly improbable.  
Still, it seemed that the final decision wasn't up to her for the moment she reached the edge of the hot spring, something barreled past her and into the water with a huge splash and a yell. For a moment she was left there bemused, until a white head poked out of the water.  
"Goron's hot springs are always the best!" Madas laughed. His hair was all over the place, but he didn't seem to care at all. Instead, he stood up and turned around to look at her. "What you waiting for? Come in already!"  
Zelda wasn't sure if she was more embarrassed at seeing a nearly naked man, or if she was more surprised at how quick Madas was to discard his clothing and wear a pair of shorts that barely hid... things.  
"You got to admit it," Ganondorf muttered, throwing most of his stuff on a pile near the one owned by Madas. "He's quick when he wants to."  
A moment later, it was Ganondorf being half naked. Granted, he was still wearing his pants that covered far more, but the rest of his body was still showing. Which meant very big and defined muscles that a girl would kill for.  
Zelda had the luck to have this sight for free, though, and while she kept chiding herself that a lady should not stare, she just couldn't help it. Both Madas and Ganondorf had very nice physiques, fascinating scars, and... well... she enjoyed good proportions as much as any other person in the kingdom.  
She watched the Gerudo wade into the water and sit down in a spot where the water was deep enough for him to at least soak up just below his shoulders. He looked content and relaxed.  
Now, if only she could stop staring and find a solution before Madas decided to drag her into the water with all her clothing on.  
"War god my holy ass," she muttered, watching the deity belly flop into the water with another laugh. "He acts more like a kid having fun rather than someone that can destroy a kingdom..."  
Zelda frowned further and turned around, “Don’t look.” she told her companions, pulling the very sweaty pantsuit she was wearing off to reveal only her underclothes. Turning around with a sigh, she folded her clothes neatly and put them by the rough pile that Madas/Ganondorf had made by basically just throwing their stuff down. 

Meanwhile, Ganondorf was having a pretty good time soaking in the water. His sore muscles sorely needed this rest, and the warm water did wonders to his aching form. Stretching, he sighed happily with eyes closed. At least, until some scorching water hit his eyeballs.  
“Agh!” Ganondorf gasped as Madas splashed him again, all the while giggling like a kindergartener. The large Gerudo man frowned deeply as Madas dove into the middle, deeper part of the pool again with a laugh. “Some of us are just trying to relax here!”  
“Indeed, Madas.” Zelda said sternly, causing Ganondorf’s eyes to naturally go in that direction, “It has been a long, hard journey to get here. Have your fun but perhaps leave us out of it for a few moments while we take a much-needed break?”  
Ganondorf just nodded dumbly, trying to convince himself that his cheeks were getting hot because of the water and not because this was his first time seeing the princess with that little clothing. He was probably making an idiot and fool of himself because Zelda was staring and giving him an unimpressed eyebrow and why did he suddenly feel smushed into a tiny closet of uncomfortableness... He mouthed a ‘sorry’ and turned his eyes downwards. It wasn’t just the fact that Zelda was fit and altogether pretty well built underneath everything, it was the fact she was kind and smart and compassionate and curious and so, so hopeful for the world despite everything she kept on finding and oh goddess what was he doing? And why did it suddenly seem so hard to breathe or think or do anything? He was probably just uncomfortable... after all, he wasn’t used to seeing anyone- much less women without much clothing. He’d only ever seen one other woman like that, and that was his mother.

His mother who had been killed smuggling her child over the Gerudo border in an attempt to save his life.  
Ganondorf’s mind got hit with a massive mess of panic and a bunch of other emotions he couldn’t really sort out right now. Why did that memory have to hit him out of the blue like this? He didn’t want to think about that but he suddenly couldn’t help it as the thoughts of it and a bunch of other crap that had happened since started to push into his mind. He put his face in his hands, as a horde of pent-up emotions not just about the princess, but everything else hit him all at once.  
“Ganondorf....” Zelda asked slowly, “Are you alright?”  
But he couldn’t answer because his mind was just racing and now he was breathing too fast and everything was a mess. Just like his mother’s favorite skirt had been when he’d found her sprawled in the safe house, ringed in crimson.  
Zelda found herself at a loss on what to do. She knew Ganondorf as a strong man with an appreciative tendency to bluntness. This... this was the first time she saw him so distraught.  
"Ganondorf?" She lowered herself into the water and grabbed the man's hands into hers. "Please, look at me."  
It took some time for her to finally have the Gerudo look up at her, and when it happened, Zelda felt her heart constrict in pain upon seeing the sadness on his face. It was the same sadness she had seen on herself when her mother had died, and she hated it. She really hated to see it on anyone. No one should go through the pain of losing a dear one.  
"I'm here," she whispered, hugging him. "You're not alone."  
Ganondorf closed his eyes slowly, leaning into the princess for support. He forced a deeper, stronger breath in through his lungs and tried his best to focus on the feeling of being hugged and the pressure of Zelda’s hand on his back as he dragged himself back.  
Zelda slowly let go, looking to make sure he was okay before settling down beside him, hand still wrapped around his. She watched the Gerudo man with concern as he slowly rubbed his temples with one hand. She didn’t quite understand what had just happened and how quickly the mood had shifted, but she knew that she needed to stay here like this.  
After a few seconds of terse silence and quiet concern from the princess, Ganondorf opened his eyes, looking weary of the world, “Thanks.” he said softly.  
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked gently.  
“No.” he replied slowly, “Still too vivid right now. Maybe later.”  
“Okay.” she accepted his response, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. His hand went to hers, resting upon it.  
Madas’ head popped up from the middle of the pool. The playful childishness had disappeared and concern was written on every line in his face. “Is everything okay up here?” he asked.  
Zelda knew she shouldn't be surprised by Madas' rapid change in emotions. He did that a lot. But still, she couldn't help it and it was a small wonder every time she witnessed it happen. "I don't know," she replied calmly. "But I'm sure everything will be fine in time."  
She could see that Ganondorf was already recovering from whatever bad memories he had recalled. It was a slow process, but one that she could still notice thanks to the sense of serenity she felt from him. "Yes," he whispered. "I'll be fine. Thanks."  
"Hey man," Madas grinned at him from where he was standing. "Whenever you need to talk, we're here. Well, unless there's an apocalypse going on, then we'd have a bit of a problem talking about stuff while hacking away at enemies."  
The princess snorted and threw a small rock at the deity's head, who didn't bother moving to avoid the projectile. "Oh, shut up you!" she couldn't help but the small smile on her lips. "We're trying to prevent that, remember?"  
Ganondorf managed a half-smile, still shaking off the effects of whatever had just happened. He felt more in control, though, and knew he would be okay soon. Just needed a bit of time.  
Madas, for his part, abruptly went back to splashing both him and Zelda with an annoying amount of water. Zelda frowned before jumping into the water, fully submerging herself. “Now I’m all wet!” she laughed, “You can’t wet what’s already wet!”  
Madas frowned then splashed Ganondorf more, with a smile entirely too devious fro the war god’s face, “Guess I’ll have to make up the difference then.” he chuckled.  
Ganondorf just sat there, water flying into his face, and put his hands under his chin, “If you don’t stop now there will be consequences.” he said in his most serious and threatening voice that he could muster.  
Madas just kept laughing. Ganondorf smiled. The benefit of having his large form was that fact he could make a lot of water move a lot of places.  
In his defence, Madas had been warned.


	14. A Date With A Dragon

Dried and re-clothed (save for Madas, who was still feeling the affects of Ganondorf’s wrath), the companions sat on the rocks watching the sun set over the mountain peaks. It truly was a magnificent sight. Madas hugged a towel around his sopping form, hair slightly off-colour from the sulfury spring water. Despite the calm mood and quiet atmosphere, with both Ganondorf and Zelda miraculously managing NOT to make it awkward, the deity felt off.   
For some reason, Madas couldn’t shake the feeling of foreboding. In fact, he almost felt like they were being watched…  
And Madas was too ancient and had experienced way too much to ignore that feeling. If his instincts were telling him that they were being watched, then they were watched. The only problem was that he had no idea who it was, or why it was spying on them. He supposed he could go and find out, but another problem was that he was enjoying this moment of peace way too much to let it go so soon.  
He was being stupid, he knew, but even deities were capable of wrong decisions.

"We should go," Zelda murmured. Despite being the voice of reason among them, she sounded like she was hating the idea of leaving. "We need to speak with the Goron Chief about the key..."  
"And how do you plan to do that?" Ganondorf asked as bluntly as ever. "Go in, wave at him, and ask 'Hi! Can we get the key? Someone is trying to steal them for evil purposes!' when there are posters of him," he pointed at Madas, "as a wanted criminal and you," he pointed at Zelda, "as the kidnapped princess?"  
"The Chief won't part with the key that easily," Madas confirmed. "Not even if it's the princess asking. Gorons might respect Hylia and her people, but they don't worship her the way Hylians do. Same with the Zoras, the Gerudo and any other race out there that's not Hylian."  
A loud crash from the Goron city beneath them startled the group out of their relaxation. Zelda grabbed her staff as her two companions quickly did up their sword-belts. Madas squinted, trying to make out exactly what was going on amid the dust from whatever that loud crash had come from. 

“Please tell me that’s not a dragon.” Ganondorf grumbled, “I’ve had one too many close encounters with those littl-”  
“It’s a dragon.” Madas told him.  
“... of course it is.”   
Zelda, for her part, was still squinting at the horizon. It almost seemed as if the dragon was moving mechanically. It was very unnatural. Normally these fiery beasts thrashed and twisted and twirled. It was almost as if it was being influenced somehow... “Drekko.” Zelda growled, “That bastard is back.”   
Madas’ eyes widened, “Are you sure?”  
“Most certainly. This screams his overly-blown arrogance. Plus, it’s the perfect opportunity to scare the Gorons into being more aligned with Hylia and against Demise.”   
Madas nodded, seeing the wisdom of the princess’ words, “Then we just have to find him, right? If we take him out, the creature should return to normal.”   
“Wonderful.” Ganondorf stated cheerily, clearly happy to not have to directly battle the dragon, “Now if I was a slimy scumbag, where would I hide?”   
Zelda twirled her hair, thinking, “He’d want to be somewhere where he could see everything but not somewhere where everyone would see him...”   
Madas’ eyes widened, “The mines. Further up the mountain. There’s an overlook where you can see the village on one side but a lot of places to hide. Plus, people hardly ever look straight up...”   
“Well,” stated Ganondorf, “Then let’s go whup a dirtbag.”  
"Wait..." Instead of following his companions, Madas was still standing where he had been and looking down at the chaos unfolding in the village. "Someone has to distract the dragon. Gorons are strong, but they don't know how to fight one of those..."  
The princess was back at his side and looking down at the village. Indeed Madas was right. The Gorons (known to be the physically strongest race in Hyrule) were running away in fear. This left the beast unchecked and free to do as much damage as it could. "But we have to find Drekko first..."  
Still, she understood why Madas was not jumping right into the search for their enemy. If they left the dragon as it was now, then a Goron might get hurt, or worse, be killed. And if they took longer, then more and more innocents would be…

Zelda couldn't bring herself to think about losing even one person due to the machinations of a corrupted man.  
"Can you hold it then?" she asked to the deity next to her. Surely, with his power and experience, a measly dragon would be no challenge. Even if he was currently nothing more than a mortal. "Ganondorf and I can go look for Drekko."  
"No." Madas' voice was calm and serene, but it had a definite commanding tone to it that held her back from protesting. "Not when the Gorons have been wrongly informed of my status as a criminal. The moment I will appear, they will think this is all a ruse to get the key from them. Ganondorf will have to distract the beast while you and I will search for Drekko."  
The moment his name was spoken, the Gerudo turned on them. "Now now," he spoke. "Let's not be hasty! That's a dragon down there," he pointed at the rampaging beast with a finger while staring at Madas. "And I'm just a man. You want me to fight that thing when all I can do is swing a sword around? I'm not bad at it, but the scales of that thing are one of the hardest things known to man."  
The deity smiled, and suddenly the world felt less dire and more... light. Neither Zelda nor Ganondorf could ever understand how Madas could turn the mood so quickly, but they guessed it was because he was a god (something they tended to forget due to Madas' lack of... 'godly behavior' most of the time).  
"I never said you had to kill it," the war god replied. "Only that you have to distract it long enough for us to find Drekko. Once the man's control is broken, the dragon should leave on its own."  
Ganondorf sighed, looking down at the dragon and all the ruin it was causing. Though he could not deny that he was scared and dragons were not his favorite thing, he couldn’t deny the fact that there were Gorons down there who didn’t deserve to be dragged into Hyrule’s mess. Who was he to stand by? “Okay.” he replied, accepting his task.  
Madas nodded, running up the mine path with the princess, who mouthed a ‘be safe’ at him as she ran away, causing him to smile slightly. Once they were gone, Ganondorf drew his broadsword from the sheath. “Looks like you and I have a date with a dragon.” 

With that, he began to run down the path and back towards the village. When he arrived, the town was littered with rocky piles (formerly houses or structures of some sort). Right in the centre was the dragon, roaring and thrashing and looking around almost mechanically. For the key, Ganondorf’s mind told him. From the sheer amount of rolling Gorons he’d dodged on the way down, he assumed most everyone had fled the scene, preferring to preserve their lives than try to fight. He didn’t blame them.  
Or at least that’s what he thought until a Goron stepped out of a rocky and ornate building. Ganondorf recognized the man immediately. His overwhelming presence seemed to be holding back the dragon for now, and the massive hammer in his left hand certainly did wonders to deter the beast from attacking prematurely. It stared at him with curiosity, as if wondering who would be stupid enough to attack it head-on. But it didn’t attack, and had stopped smashing stuff. Though the Gerudo man wasn’t sure how long it would last.

“YOU WILL NOT HAVE MY TOWN, FOUL BEAST.” Darunia screamed at the dragon, breaking through the silence with his massive, booming voice. He hefted his hammer over his shoulder, almost daring the dragon to go for him. The dragon met his challenge with a blast of fire, which did nothing to harm the rock-solid Chief of the Gorons. However, it did blind him, which left him quite open for the dragon’s large sweeping claw to strike, gouging thin cuts into his rocky flesh. But that wasn’t the point of the attack. No, the sweep was meant to knock Darunia off of his feet and send him careening into a nearby building with enough force to break any normal Hylian’s entire body.   
And open the way straight towards the building that he was protecting. Likely where the Goron’s most precious things were stored. Like the key.   
Ganondorf’s body was moving before he finished piecing that together, taking off like wind and fire straight towards the beast. Smart, he thought desperately, I have to be smart, since I don’t have control over my power yet. He thought about his previous encounters with dragons, remembering what it was like to fight before, how to beat them, their weak spots. As he neared the creature, he pushed his legs out in front of him, sliding under its belly and stabbing upwards. Into the exposed skin of the belly. As the creature shrieked and it’s legs gave out, Ganondorf rolled sideways, avoiding the mass of falling flesh. He quickly got up and bolted forwards as the creature spun its neck and blasted a cone of fire in his general direction. It wasn’t enough, though and the fire was getting closer and closer and closer....  
And then it stopped.

“Mere tourists, eh?” Darunia asked, standing suddenly in front of the Gerudo man and acting as a fire shield, “I wonder where in this world you could have learned how to fight a dragon? You must tell me about this place!”   
Ganondorf laughed despite himself, “Thanks.”   
“I should be thanking you.” the chief replied, still taking an alarming amount of fire straight to the chest, “You didn’t need to come here and risk yourself like that.” 

Suddenly the fire stopped, but this time Darunia was ready, whipping his massive hammer sideways and swatting the dragon’s claw away as if it was a mere stone or play-ball for children. The power of the impact sent the whole dragon off-balance, and Ganondorf saw an opportunity, dashing in on the off-balance side and striking the slightly exposed belly before darting back and letting Darunia take the fiery breath that the dragon sent out.   
Angry, the dragon started glowing, expending some of its magic, building a shield over its belly. Though, the shield still looked weaker than the rest of the scales, but Ganondorf figured it would take a hit from Darunia’s hammer and his sword to damage the darn thing.   
Ganondorf gripped the hilt of his broadsword tightly, “I hate dragons.” he growled.   
Now it was Darunia’s turn to laugh, “Then let’s send this bugger back to where it came from.”

Ganondorf had to give credit to the Goron.  
While the rest of his people ran away from the dragon or hid where they could not be seen, Darunia remained. He stood tall and proud, took every blast of fire as if it was nothing more than an annoyance, and challenged the beast as if he was playing with one small lizard.  
Yes. Darunia was one warrior that was best to have as an ally rather than an enemy. No wonder Madas had sent him down rather than showing his own wanted face. The Goron could pose more troubles than they needed if he fought them while also fighting a dragon.  
And so Ganondorf followed Darunia's lead as best as he could. When the Goron would topple the dragon, he would rush in and slash at the unprotected belly. Granted, it didn't do as much damage as they needed to drive the beast off, but it was something and it kept it distracted from harming innocents or doing more property damage than it had already done.  
Besides, Madas and Zelda were out to find the source of this problem, and once that was dealt with, the dragon would just retreat.  
Hopefully.  
Ganondorf sighed as he shielded himself behind Darunia once more to avoid a fiery death. He just hoped they were quick about it, because he was starting to get tired and overly annoyed.


	15. Song Of A Spirit

Meanwhile, Zelda and Madas were on the run from a group of very angry fire-breathing creatures.  
“I THOUGHT YOU SAID THIS WOULD BE FINE AND THAT WE SHOULD JUST ATTACK HIM WHILE HIS BACK WAS TURNED!” the princess screamed, “AND THAT THESE CREATURES DON’T ATTACK UNTIL YOU DISTURB THEIR TERRITORY!”  
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Madas replied, panting, “I didn’t realize that blasted captain could control a whole horde of them at once...”  
“Mhm, mhm, because it’s not like we’ve seen him brainwash an entire kingdom or anything...” the princess sniped sarcastically.  
Madas shrugged sheepishly, ducking behind a rock to avoid a column of fiery death, “Okay, you do have a point there. But if you were so concerned why didn’t you say something?”  
“Hmm,” Zelda replied, “Because, ‘Madas that’s not a good idea, of course Drekko has a plan’ wasn’t good enough of a warning...”  
A scary creature jumping above the rock and staring down at them with hungry, maddened eyes was enough to cut the conversation off. Zelda rolled left and the war god right, just dodging the attack right between them.  
“We need a game plan.” Zelda gasped with certainty, dashing sideways to smack another creature over the face with her staff.  
“Indeed.” Madas replied, slashing upwards at the lizard-creature above the rock, “Perhaps you could explode them?”  
“That’s a terrible plan.” Zelda stated, “I don’t even know how I did that. It’s not like the power’s just going to suddenly come out of nowhere with little to no training right when I need...” with comedic timing, the tip of her staff lit up and a beam exploded out of it with brutal and deadly force, evaporating a fair number of the monsters they were facing, “...or it is.”  
“Wonderful!” Madas chipped, finishing off the last of the horde, “I knew you could do it!” 

Zelda frowned. She had to figure out how she kept doing that. Still, now that the Captain’s distraction was taken care of, it was probably a good idea to follow him into that hole that he’d ran into like the rat he is, with tail between his legs.  
She knew that that specific cavern had a special name. After all, it was the main mining site of the Goron’s rocky foodstuffs. So it made sense if the captain wanted to hit the rocky people, he’d go there.  
Straight into the mouth of Dondongo’s Cavern.

They ran into the cavern and Madas was suddenly faced with a very familiar place. His memories of being inside for the first time were very fuzzy at best, but he could recall the smell and the huge skull hiding a small passage. He had gone through that to reach King Dodongo and kill it.  
"I wonder..." he muttered, stopping where he was to look around.  
Did Drekko go where the king of the dodongos had its lair, or did he go into one of the many branching paths that snaked around the inside of the volcano?  
"Where to go now?" Zelda asked, holding her staff close and casting her eyes left and right. The heat was so intense in there that her eyes were starting to burn. "Any idea?"  
Madas mumbled something to himself. Something that Zelda didn't hear. She, however, heard a strange hum fill the air and cover the incessant sound of bubbling lava. For a moment she had no idea where it was coming from, but then she saw the deity tilt his head left and right and she realized he was the one producing that hum.  
"Madas?" She asked in a whisper, not wanting to disturb him if he was casting a spell or something. The last thing she wanted was to break him out of his concentration and have whatever magic backfire on him.  
"I know where he is going..." Madas replied after a while. "I can sense his corruption..."

...

Madas, suddenly overcome with the feeling another was looking down the same path he was, frowned and bolted in the direction of the Captain. Of course he would head towards the biggest monster in the place. It was the best diversion.  
He hoped that they could make it before King Dondongo’s child recognized the puny green-clothed Hylian who had killed its father.  
Though, if Drekko made it there first, he supposed it wouldn’t matter either way.  
He just had to hope that the Captain didn’t know this place as well as he did.  
"This certainly brings back memories..." Madas muttered as he helped Zelda across a pit of lava. "Place has changed very little."  
And he was glad for that. It meant that there was no need to explore every bend and curve in the path and he could go straight to his destination. He just hoped Drekko didn't place any beast along the way, because he was done with fighting in a place were one wrong step could send him falling into a fiery end.  
"I hope Ganondorf is alright." Zelda was standing next to the deity now, looking sweaty and dirty with ashes. The expression on her face was a clear giveaway that she would rather be somewhere else at the moment.  
Madas patted her back once and smiled. "He is a strong man," he replied. "If he possess even an inch of the power his predecessors had, then he'll be fine."  
Zelda nodded, deciding to focus more on her own predicament at the moment. She followed Madas down the winding pathways, careful to watch her steps lest she fall into the bubbling lava below.  
“This place seems oddly clear of monsters...” Madas said slowly, “It isn’t right. Keep your guard up.”  
Zelda nodded, gripping her staff solidly in her hands. She was ready to fight if the need arose.  
Suddenly glancing to her left, Zelda saw a puff of purple velvet caught upon one of the rocks. Drekko’s cape!, she thought suddenly, We’re on the right track…  
With caution, the two kept running.  
A tall, arched cavern suddenly greeted them, it’s yawning mouth opening as if to swallow them whole.  
“The boss chamber,” Madas said slowly, “I was afraid he’d get here...”

Madas was not having an enjoyable time at the moment. The chamber was nothing more than a huge cavern located deep into the volcanic mountain, with small pits of lava here and there that released intense heat and dangerous fumes. And in the middle of it, standing still like a monument dedicated to his past actions, the huge skeleton of King Dodongo.  
It was just as he remembered it, however vague those memories were.  
"I don't see anyone," Zelda whispered, getting closer to the deity so that he could hear her. "Do you think he left?"  
If Drekko had left, then they would have a problem in how he had walked out on them when the entrance was the only way in, and also a problem in having to locate him once again. It would undoubtedly take time. Time that they clearly didn't have.  
"He's here," Madas whispered back, eyes narrowed into the depths of the cavern. "Is he a magic user? I can sense him, but not see him..."  
Suddenly Drekko stepped out of the shadows, flanked by a blue-white aura.  
“You’re just in time.” he laughed evilly, “I’m about to start the light show.”  
Suddenly meticulously-crafted symbols carved into the walls and floors lit up with a protesting whine. Blue-white flame and light filled the room as the captain laughed. “You didn’t think I would just run in here without a plan do you? I have contingencies and you children are vastly underprepared for this world...”  
Madas slammed his blade against the entrance, but it only bounced back off of a mysterious field that kept them from going any further. He’d vastly miscalculated the situation. And now they may all pay the price.  
If his knowledge told him correctly, Drekko was about to summon something big.  
And powerful.

...

A long way away, opening heavy eyes, someone stood up. They didn’t know who they were, and they didn’t know exactly what was going on, but, slowly, this figure forced themselves to their feet.  
Someone... something... had been remembered.  
And that meant that the silken words that had been used to chain them had cracked. And now, they could open their eyes for the first time in many a year. Shaking heavy arms, they looked at their bindings. Coming to their senses, a deep and dark feeling of desperation, of anguish, and of loneliness overcame them, and they crashed to their knees, slamming fist against the dark stone in the dark room in the deep, dark, empty (oh so empty) air. A piercing scream cut through the cavern, but no one could hear it. After all, the trickster-man who’d put this... creature... person... (they weren’t even sure of what they could be called) in this prison had made sure that while his power was weak, the sheer isolation and the fact that everyone (including itself) had forgotten its very existence, made sure it would be a trial to escape.  
Escape.  
The word was the one thing vibrating through their head at light-speed as long-sleeping energy pumped out of their body into the cracked chains, shattering them easily,  
This new someone got up and faced the empty blackness, probably littered with all manner of clever trappings and whatever else that conman had decided to use to deter their exit.  
With still unsure limbs, someone started walking to freedom.

The sun was so bright.  
Having dragged itself through the mounds of traps and mazes of caverns, the sprit looked at the great, shining orb with both a sense of deep wonder and deep loss. After all, it still wasn’t sure where exactly it was, who it was, or how long it had lost.  
It felt like a long time.  
Still leeching some sort of blue ichor from a spot on their arm, the spirit turned, springing up into the air and enjoying the sunshine. Though it wasn’t going to dally long. After all, it still had to figure out exactly who (or what) it was. Not to mention find the one who stole it from it.  
The spirit looked over the blowing, dusty dunes, seeing suddenly its target. The man’s stench of filth wafted around him like an entity of his own. The spirit frowned. That was a long ways away.  
Nevertheless, it would make sure that he got his compensation.  
I see you, the spirit said without words. 

But they saw it too. And it felt a tearing, a rending apart of its very existence. Pulled. Tossed. Turned. Ripped to another part. 

The breaking was just a ruse.  
It was being summoned.

...

A vortex opened in the middle of the room, breaking apart the fabric between realities. Drekko’s eyes were glowing now, imbued with some otherworldly power. “From the world between worlds,” he boomed, when the pressure of the spell that had lept to a feverish pitch kept Madas and Zelda at a safe distance, “I call the spirit of music, of magic within words and melody, with the power over human minds and hearts. The creator of the ocarina of time. I call the forgotten, the spirit Ocaris!”

Madas held his head, memories shattering as the veil of forgetfulness was broken. Memories came rushing back, a forgotten history of how the instrument of the royal family had come to be so powerful, enough to even bend time itself. He screamed, collapsing to his knees as the weight of his flawed immortal memory fell unto him. 

“Join me in this battle!” Drekko called, wild magic spinning at his fingertips as the weakened spirit screamed and fought his control. But it was no use. The spirit screamed as Drekko took control of its true power. Then, burning with white energy, an unearthly melody began to drift through the room.  
“Prepare to die.” Drekko, master of music intoned.  
Zelda was... not having the best of times at the moment. With Drekko having come into possession of a spirit and Madas into what appeared some sort of mental instability, she was all alone trying to figure what to do. The ethereal music going on was not helping, either, for it kept making her mind distracted at best.  
"Madas...? Madas!" She whispered harshly, nudging the deity with her elbow while she kept her eyes on her enemy. "You alright?"  
But Madas was not answering. Instead, he collapsed to the ground on his knees and... Zelda felt as if something in the deity had broken. It was concerning, both due to the fact that Madas should not look so sad, and because this was not a good time to be anything but battle ready.  
"A weak one," Drekko laughed, creating an awful melody that made Zelda shiver and freeze on the spot. "He'll be the first to go!"  
A blinding light and a screech of a melody filled the air. It impacted with Madas and sent him crashing through the colossal bones of a long-dead King Dodongo, disappearing from view once everything came collapsing down.  
"Madas!" Zelda would have gone to help her friend, but the still ongoing melody kept her from moving. "Madas!"  
"Your... 'friend' will not help you now," Drekko was advancing on her now, mad grin plastered on his face. "Come, let us speak about the future."  
Zelda felt her skin crawl in a really bad way. She had read more than one story where the villain was out for not only power, but also some sort of screwed up concept of love for the one in a position of power. Someone just like her...  
"I will let your other friend live," the man spoke. He was walking around her, tracing a finger along her shoulders. "If you marry me. What better choice for a god to marry the fabled reincarnation of Hylia?"

The princess' mind came to an abrupt halt. "Wait..." she said. "I thought you said you knew I wasn't...?"  
Drekko snorted and waved a hand into the air dismissively. "Of course you aren't, princess," he replied with disdain. "However, the whole kingdom thinks you are. And... you are- I dare say- quite beautiful. And the daughter of the king. I would come into power without having to kill half the kingdom for it."  
Zelda knew he was baiting her with that offer. Her own hand for the safety of a lot of people. Problem was, once he was in power, there was no saying on what he could... would do and mask it as Hylia's orders. Especially now that he got some musical power that could control people and labeled himself a a god.  
"Even if you have this power, god is something I wouldn't call you by." Zelda felt a spark of courage enter her heart, most probably due to Madas' close proximity. Even if unconscious or temporarily out of commission, the guy was still a real god. And not just a random one, but one of the big three and second only to the three Golden Goddesses. "Because gods aren't this... petty."  
That was a little lie, because Madas had confirmed that Hylia and Demise had started their war over something as 'simple' as how to govern mortals and their affairs. Drekko, however, didn't need to know that.  
"I wouldn't call this petty, your highness," Drekko replied, his face so near to Zelda that she could count the pores of his skin if she could find it in herself to get past her disgust. "I am god. I can do whatever I want. The old gods are long gone, and they will not interfere, too busy with their own little games in their own world! When did one of them came down from their thrones to lead mortals? When was the last time they talked with us? Eons ago! It is time a new god takes their place!"  
This was the classic mania of a lot of villains she read about. Classic greed for power. Classic I'm-better-than-thou attitude. Classic I'm-god-and-you-do-what-I-want. It was a tiring plot device in narrative books at the castle, but here, in real life... Zelda didn't know if she should feel worried or disgusted.  
"I'm afraid you'll have to fight over that title," Zelda looked towards the pile of giant bones. She could feel something coming from there. Something really dark and furious. Something that screamed of danger and bloodshed. "Because whenever Hyrule... no, whenever the world needs, he will come."  
Drekko snorted, obviously not noticing the increasing dark aura. "Who? The 'hero' of legend? Last time I checked, the Master Sword was still on its pedestal. There is no hero this time to save you."

"There is no hero because right now Hyrule does not need saving." The voice was not Drekko's, nor Zelda's or Ganondorf's. It was that of Madas, but it also sounded different. Deeper without actually sounding louder than usual. It weighed on everyone's soul like a huge boulder. "Right now, it needs purging."  
The music holding her still shattered against the pressure, and Zelda took the opportunity to distance herself from Drekko. She turned around and watched as Madas walked out, unharmed and changed. Gone was his happiness. Gone was his small frame and long, flowing hair. Gone was his dirty green tunic.  
Because now he was a colossal man of well over ten, maybe twelve feet of height who wore a pale tunic under a shiny cuirass that looked like it went through countless battles. If Zelda had thought of seeing the real Fierce Deity before this moment, she realized how wrong she was.  
This was the real Fierce Deity.  
"You..." Madas was pointing his huge helix sword towards Drekko, anger twisting his kind features into a monstrous mask. "No matter how long it will take or where you will run to. I will find you and end you."  
This was a true god of war.  
Drekko looked thrown off for about two seconds before his ego took control again and he laughed, “You can try!” He called a chaotic, jarring song into his hands and threw it at Madas, who only stood there, brewing himself against the attack with his sword and massive form.  
As the two of them threw divine magic back and forth, Zelda thought. What do I know? she asked herself, I know that Drekko has to split his concentration. Part on Madas and part on the dragon, and part on me. I doubt he takes me as much of a threat so I’ll likely be mostly ignored until he feels like Madas is beaten. I don’t know how long Madas can keep this up either. Most of his power seems to be coming from the spirit inside him, which he said was the spirit of music... also I believe he mentioned something about having power over minds and hearts. But doesn’t music need to be heard in order for that to happen? Zelda’s mind suddenly came to a very abrupt conclusion. Music needed to be heard to have power, and if she couldn’t hear, then... 

Her hands flew to her pack, grabbing a stick of wax that she brought to seal letters should she need to send some. She ripped off two pieces and shoved them in her ears. Suddenly, the fear within her subsided and she felt more powerful. It must have been another song that dampened her confidence and control.  
Smiling, Zelda raised her staff and charged at Drekko’s back. He sensed her at the last moment, turning and sending a flurry of power at her.  
But nothing hit her, after all, she couldn’t hear anything to be affected by it. “You’re cocky, Drekko.” she told him, “This power is new for you, you don’t know how to use it! You don’t know its strengths and weaknesses, you don’t know how to overcome them, you don’t know how to do anything but throw it at people.“ With every word, she saw the fragile mask of his overconfidence melting, his concentration and flurry of blows on Madas slowly weakening. And she took the opportunity, throwing the rest of her bundle of wax at the war god and dashing in to attack Drekko’s now-fragile defences.  
Her staff a blur, she pushed the captain back. He was on the defensive now, and thrown off by the princess’s sudden strength and immunity to his attacks. And when Madas got the wax in his ears and joined Zelda, Drekko’s panic reached a fever pitch.  
He jumped onto the skeleton of King Dondongo, gasping, panicked and sweating. He conjured a melody as Zelda and Madas surrounded the base of the skeleton, waiting for him to come down. Madas’ eyes widened as he recognized the song. 

“NO!” he screamed as the Song of Soaring took the Captain away. Then, coughing, he felt his godly form melt away and hit the ground, seeing the blood from his cough in his hands as the skeleton of King Dondongo started shaking, called back to life by a haunting melody. Then the world went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy readers! Just like to say thank you for reading this far and hope you’ve enjoyed our story!   
> Have a great day. :D


	16. Old Friends (And New Ones)

When Madas regained consciousness, things were hazy at best. His muscles hurt. His mind was a jumbled mess of memories old and new. And breathing was nothing short of problematic. Basically, he felt like he had been trampled by a stampede of King Dodongos and then took a roll down the steepest mountain Hyrule could offer.  
"Hey, hey," a voice called when he tried to sit up. Small hands pushed him back down and he grunted out in discomfort. "Stay down. I don't think it's a good idea for you to get up now."  
"What...? Who..?" he whispered. He knew that voice, but the name of the girl eluded him at the moment.  
"Everything has been dealt with." The man's voice sparked an old sense of anger, only to be squashed by a memory of a large Gerudo laughing at one of his jokes. "Overexerting yourself was not the smartest move, but... thanks for saving Zelda. Without that, Drekko would have not withdrawn and I wouldn't have been able to come and deal with the reanimated skeleton."

While his memories were still scattered and hazy, Ganondorf's words sparked some recollection of why he was there and why everything in him hurt. "There was no other way..." Madas whispered. Even talking hurt. "Drekko took possession of a minor deity, and an old friend of mine."  
"I think we should leave," Zelda looked around. The inside of a volcano wasn't the best place to rest. "Ganondorf, can you carry him? I don't think he can stand right now."  
“Wait,” Madas gasped, “The town. Goron town. Is it fine? The dragon...?”   
“Got its butt thoroughly whupped by me and your friend here.” Darunia butted in, laughing. He was standing on top of the skeleton of King Dondongo, slightly scorched but looking triumphant and like he was having the time of his life. “I’m sure your friend is capable of getting you back to town. We can treat you there. And while I appreciate what you all have done here, I still would kindly like to know what the actual heck is going on when you recover.”  
Zelda laughed, “We’ll explain everything.” she took a bow, “Thank you, Lord Darunia. You didn’t need to help us here, but you did. I appreciate that immensely and I’m sure my less-socially-adept and half-dead friends agree with me.”   
Something strange entered Darunia’s eye, an emotion no one had seen the Goron chief wear before, and that no one could place their finger on, “Funny, I told you friend here the same thing when we were fighting that dragon. I’m only repaying the service you people did, and if my understanding is correct, that filthy Hylia captain put against us. He’s been trying to get our key for years, but no one but me can seem to remember that...”

At the mention of the captain’s powers, Madas teared up. He’d stolen those powers. Stolen them from a friend of his, and locked the spirit goddess-knows-where while he used that pure, innocent power to secure his reign and cruelty across the kingdom. And now, he was forcing Ocaris to move to his will and do these horrible things. It made Madas sick. But wait... Darunia said he could remember...  
“Wait, you’re telling me his mojo memory killing thing doesn’t work on you?” Zelda gasped, apparently coming to the same conclusion the war god had.  
Darunia shrugged, “So its magic... figured. And yeah, I guess it doesn’t work on me.“  
Ganondorf looked down at Madas, still gasping and clearly in pain on the floor, “Well let's get this lug to a medic and then we can figure out what the heck is going on around here.”

Before Madas could protest about being carried and that he was fine enough to drag himself out of the volcano, Ganondorf picked him up. The movement, although as much measured and gentle as possible, caused so much pain that Madas reconsidered about him being alright. "Remind me to never use the full extent of my powers with a mortal body unless it's the end of the of the world..."  
Zelda chuckled. Sure, the deity was hurt. Ganondorf looked exhausted. And she herself wanted nothing more than to sit down somewhere and contemplate why the world had turned out to be so corrupted. Yet, the companionship that the three of them had created was something that she treasured and lightened the mood a great deal. It made her... really happy.  
"Come this way, friends!" Darunia yelled jovially, as if a dragon and a madman never attacked his town. "We do have a small house for those Hylians that loves to venture in our domain. You will find yourself more at home than just sitting outside in the heat of our volcano."  
Ganondorf huffed under his breath. He was used to the heat. He had lived in the desert most of his life, but even to him the volcano's temperature were too much even with the fireproof elixir. "That sounds good." He adjusted Madas into his arms for a better balance. The last thing he wanted was to trip and roll all the way down to the base of the fiery mountain. "I need to rest after what happened today."

The group followed the Goron leader down an easier, more direct route to the semi-ruined town. Somewhere along the line, Madas fell asleep, his body either deciding it needed some rest or simply not being able to maintain consciousness anymore. Zelda skipped down the path (the only one with any sort of energy) calling out good, even places for Ganondorf to step.   
It took longer than anyone would have liked, but there weren’t any missteps as they finished their decent. Darunia told them to get some rest as they arrived at the house, then abruptly left to go round up his people from whatever caves they’d crawled into during the attack. He also mentioned that he would find them tomorrow to discuss the situation and how exactly all of them had come to be there. Ganondorf didn’t mind. Though he intended to leave out the tiny detail of him being Demise’s conduit, he didn’t mind sharing the rest of the story with the rocky man. Fighting beside someone really tells you a lot about them, and Ganondorf couldn’t help admiring the courage and rock-hard will of the Goron. 

“How are you holding up?” Zelda asked, easing him out of his thoughts.  
Ganondorf shrugged. Despite fighting another dragon, (not to mention the giant resurrected Dondongo) he wasn’t doing that badly. “Strangely okay.” he told the princess after a few moments of introspection.   
“Yeah.” Zelda nodded, “Though I’m not sure whether to call this a victory or a loss, since Drekko got away...”  
“Call it a victory for today.” Ganondorf said.   
Zelda smiled a little despite everything. And the two of them let an easy silence settle upon the house as both stared out the window into the coming night. It had been a hard day, but both princess and Gerudo had walked away with something new.  
"You know," Zelda started after a while. "Despite the apocalyptic crisis we're facing... I'm enjoying the time I'm spending with you both." She was sitting on the bed near the window and enjoying the cool evening breeze that came from the valley below.   
Darunia was right in saying that this house was perfect for those Hylians that visited. It was actually enjoyable and the beds were soft and more comfortable than the stuffy behemoths back in the castle. Maybe it was her exhaustion talking, but she was truly appreciating the dry grass covered by the simple quilt.  
"It is indeed... enjoyable." Ganondorf found himself sitting down next to her with a content smile. "To know someone has my back makes a huge difference."  
A small hand patted the man's back and he felt the strain of the day wear off, as if Zelda could heal his sores just with her touch. It was something stupid to think about, because even if they were the conduits of gods, there still needed to be a focused effort put into any kind of magic ability. Still, he felt like that.  
Maybe there was a small truth to all those rumors Hylians loved to spread about their princess.  
"I'm glad you're here too. Without you and the Goron Chief... I don't think we could have left that cave..." she said. "Madas... I'm not sure. I think he can't withstand his own full powers with his current body. He just collapsed and I got… scared..."

“There’s no shame in getting scared. Everyone does. Some people are just more used to hiding it than others...” the Gerudo replied, a faraway look in his eyes.  
Zelda suspected he was speaking from some sort of personal experience, but she didn’t push. She just savoured the knowledge that she wasn’t the only one feeling like this.   
Madas, after all, had had a great many of these kind of experiences before, so despite the knowledge of what he’d been through, it still felt like he couldn’t quite understand her feelings. Leaving the palace for the first time and being thrown into this. But she could look into Ganondorf’s eyes and sense true, real understanding since he was in the same position she was. It made her feel warm inside.   
Or maybe that wasn’t just the fact that he understood her more, maybe it was something else.   
For the first time, that didn’t scare her, even if everything else did.

…

Madas awoke to a warm sun pummelling his eyes with its bright rays. He blinked, putting his hand up in front hoping to shield his vision from the sudden assault. His body still hurt, but the bandages and sticky medicine smeared over his body had helped somewhat with that. Though, he didn’t quite remember being treated. Or getting here. In fact, he didn’t remember much of anything after he went into divine form and tried to pummel that stupid Captain. He cursed himself for his own stupidity. He should have known that taking his true form like that would knock him out like this. He wondered if Zelda and Ganondorf were okay.   
Though his body probably wouldn’t be happy with him if he got up to check. 

Fortunately, he didn’t have to wonder long, as Zelda popped her head into his room, “Oh hey, Madas! You’re up! That’s good. Darunia said he wanted to meet us ASAP so if you could get up or get some help getting up that would be great... But it sounded pretty urgent. We probably have a lot to explain.”  
The deity stared at her with the most "are you kidding me?" face he could muster. Not only he had just woken up, but there was not a single inch where his body didn't hurt. Luckily, Zelda received the message and gave an embarrassed smile. "You're right... I'm going to get Ganondorf."  
She left quickly, leaving Madas to attempt into at least sitting up. Quite a difficult task when he felt that his muscles would just shatter under the strain. He did curse his decision to access his divine form, but at the same time quickly came to terms with it. After all, it was either his suffering, or him and Zelda meeting a very unfortunate end. Something that he was not ready to accept.

Not this time, at least.

By the time he dragged his aching body to a sitting position, Zelda was back with the Gerudo behind her. He looked as strong and imposing as ever, just a bit more tired and ruffled than usual. "Madas," he greeted with a nod. "Good to see you up. You've been out for about two days."  
"Two days...?" Madas muttered. Even talking hurt, and his voice was a barely audible whisper. "I'm surprised... should have been longer..."  
But again, all the previous times he had no one to care for him while he was down.  
It felt good to know someone had his back this time at least.   
With the help of Ganondorf, Madas managed to get back unto his feet, albeit leaning heavily on the Gerudo for support. His body still hurt, but he felt incredibly good inside. Better than he had in a long time.   
“Remind me to make sure you two can somewhat summon your abilities before we go tackle the next large monster...” he huffed through clenched teeth.   
Ganondorf laughed, “Probably a good idea. Can’t have you beating yourself up all the time now, can we?”   
Zelda smiled, joy filling her grin as she looked at her companions.   
Especially Ganondorf.   
Wait...  
Had he missed something? 

Raising an eyebrow at the princess, Madas started shuffling out of the room, causing Ganondorf to follow with a shrug. After a difficult walk, the group managed to find Darunia in a large chamber, an ornate rug adorning the floor. It seemed as if this area had avoided any damage from the dragon. Probably because it was quite deep underground. Ganondorf had to sling Madas over his shoulder in order to get there, in fact. There was no way his body was going to be doing stairs in this condition. Setting the deity down on a bench, Ganondorf stretched and the three of them looked at the Goron chief. He’d been patient and kind so far, but they look in his eyes seemed all business. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.  
“So,” Darunia said slowly, “Which one of yous is going to start?”  
There was an awkward silence that fell over the gathered group. Ganondorf was shifting his gaze between Darunia and his two friends. Zelda was playing with her hair as she tried to come up with a good start for the crazy story they were supposed to tell. Darunia himself was sitting on the ground, arms crossed and looking very curious.  
"I guess I will start then," Madas gave a sigh. He hadn't moved from the bench Ganondorf had placed him on, too hurt and tired to even try. "It's been a while since I was here, I should have visited... sooner."  
When he noticed Darunia's confused frown, Madas took out the ocarina and started to play an upbeat tune that filled everyone with a sense of joy even when the deity stopped playing. Everyone had a smile on their faces, but it was the Goron Chief that was the most affected.  
"AHHHH!" Darunia stood up and pointed at the deity. "BROTHER LINK!"

And instantly he was grabbing and hugging Madas to the point that anymore strength would have caused bones to crack. "It has been so long! Centuries! You have changed colors! How did it happen? Why are your people saying you're a criminal? Who framed you? Was it that Hylian man that attacked our village?"  
Madas smiled, “Woah, please slow down... everything still hurts and I can’t process all those questions at one time...”   
Darunia set the deity down and laughed, “Ah, right, sorry...I’ll try not to overload you with questions.”  
“Well...” Madas started, “I should probably introduce my companions first. You know Ganondorf, and this is Princess Zelda.”   
“Wait...” Darunia interjected, eyebrow raised, “THE Princess Zelda?”   
“Yes...” Zelda replied, kind of embarrassed, “Thought don’t judge me by my supposed kingdom, please. It is filled with morons and, sadly, Drekko is the one who really controls everything.”   
“That Hylian who summoned the dragon upon my village?” Darunia inquired, frowning deeply.  
“Yes.” Madas replied, “Now if you could please let me get through the story...” Madas continued, telling Darunia of Zelda’s summoning of him, and the unfortunate mix-up that occurred as a result. He continued, detailing Ganondorf’s appearance and the both of them being dragged back to the palace, meeting the deranged Captain and then escaping. As Madas continued, telling the Goron of their quest, the forest, and all the adventures that followed, Darunia’s face became ever more worried and wrought with concern.   
“And that’s how we got here.” Madas finished after a long and detailed retelling of their plight, adding some extra details on how exactly he had become a different colour, just for Darunia’s benefit. Plus, he left out the part about Ganondorf being Demise’s conduit. That was the Gerudo’s secret to tell, not his.   
“So.” Darunia began to speak, slowly and deliberately, “What are you going to do about all this now?”  
"Honestly?" Zelda asked, looking at her two companions. "I'm not sure..." Despite wanting to save her kingdom, she still had some lingering doubt about how to do that. Madas made 'purging' sound so easy...  
"For now, we're just taking the keys," the deity informed Darunia with an apologetic smile. "I know how dear these keys are to the people that guard them, but as of now, they would only cause misfortune and destruction to your town if you kept it."

Darunia sighed. He looked troubled, just like Madas remembered him to be that time long ago, when they first met. "Last time that foreign man used Dodongos to stop us from accessing our feeding grounds because I didn't give him the key," he said. "This time, it was someone throwing a dragon at us and reanimating a beast you killed centuries ago. I see why you would want to get it away from innocents..."  
His small eyes turned onto the trio, lingering a lot onto Ganondorf before turning downwards onto his hands. And onto something small and red.  
"You have proved to be kind and helpful with us," he said after a while. "And I trust brother Link to make the right decisions regarding the people he trusts. It is decided! You can have the key!"  
He held out his hands and presented the Ruby Key to the one person that would have never expected to receive it.  
"Me?" Ganondorf asked perplexed, looking between the shiny object and the Goron Chief. "Why me?"  
"You helped with the dragon. You helped with the skeleton in the cave. You are helping brother Link." Darunia gave a smile. "A friend of my friend is also my friend."  
Ganondorf looked at the key, then back at the Goron chief. No one had trusted him with this much before. It was always that he was the one not to be trusted. And somehow he knew another, a different him, a different conduit would have given everything to have this in his possession. That idea set his gut to churning.   
And yet, part of him couldn’t bear the idea of anyone else getting hurt because of this key being here. And part of him told himself that he could- that he had- beat his awful legacy. He reached out his hand, nodding with respect and resolve at Darunia. He would do everything in his power to make sure no one got hurt because of this small, red rock. And make sure that Drekko or anyone else with ill intentions never got their hands on it. If for no other reason, because people believed in him to do so.   
Darunia nodded back, placing the key into the Gerudo’s outstretched palm.


	17. Some Friendly (And More Than Friendly) Competition

After a moment of the two- Goron and Gerudo- looking at each other, Madas decided to break the silence.  
“Well,” Madas said, “With that settled, we’d hate to overstay our welcome and...”   
Darunia wrapped the deity in a headlock, messing up his hair with an oversized fist, laughing, “You know me better than that, Brother Link! We must have a celebration! And a proper send-off! You are not going to run off like you did last time! You can leave tomorrow.”   
Madas swallowed hard. A Goron celebration. He was afraid Darunia would say that. He still had bruises from the last one he’d been dragged to. Rock-throwing competitions were not fun when you weren’t rock-proof.   
Zelda must have picked up on his discomfort, (either that or she’d heard some of what these parties entailed) because she attempted a cover, “That invitation is really kind and wonderful, but our business is quite urgent and...”  
“Nonsense!” Darunia boomed, “Resting and relaxing always makes one more strong! Plus there is competitions!”  
“Oh...” Madas muttered, “I know...” he looked to Ganondorf for some help, but the Gerudo just shrugged back at him.   
It looked like it was going to be a very interesting evening.

Interesting wasn't the word Madas would use at the moment, though. By the time the first competition was over, something Darunia insisted he'd take part, Madas found himself crawling back to the sidelines.  
"Uh..." he muttered, forcing his body off the ground and onto the small rocky bench where Zelda and Ganondorf had been watching off. "This is the first and last time I'm actively taking part a Goron celebration..."  
Zelda grabbed Madas' shoulder and helped him sit up properly, with his back against the wall behind them so that he wouldn't fall. She was a bit worried, especially since the amount of potions the deity had swallowed seemed to have little effect on his already existing pain. "Maybe I should take your place..."  
Madas looked at her with tired eyes and gave a tiny smile. "The thought is appreciated, but unnecessary." He turned his attention back to the lively Goron party and smiled even more. "I've gone through worse. I'll be fine. Just very sore once this is all done."  
Ganondorf laughed, “You have passed out around five times in the last, like, week. You don’t need to be throwing boulders around. I think I’m going to jump in for you on this next one. Looks kind of fun and challenging anyway...”   
Madas shrugged, realizing he wasn’t going to change his companion’s minds, “You don’t know what you’re getting into, but okay.”   
Zelda laughed, “They’re trying a balancing competition over there, I think I might jump in as well. No sense in just standing around here. This could be a great opportunity to hone my endurance and fighting skills.”  
“Can’t be worse than Madas’ training on the mountain while coming here!” Ganondorf noted, smiling.   
Zelda smiled back at the Gerudo man and they both set off for the competitions, again making Madas feel like he’d missed something that had happened there. 

Darunia sat down on the rock beside the deity as Madas massaged his sore muscles. Looking at his old friend’s sorry condition he chuckled a bit, “Perhaps the challenges weren’t the best for you today, considering...”  
Madas looked back at his old friend. Though he didn’t remember much, the Goron somehow made him feel comfortable, safe, and brought a lingering sparkle of joy to the war god’s chest. “Probably not.” he admitted, “But it is nice to take a rest and stop sometimes. You were right about that.”  
The chief smiled, clapping Madas roughly upon the back “Of course I was!” He laughed, “On a more serious note, I’m glad to see that your aren’t travelling alone this time. How are you old friend, and speak truly... It has been so many years and so many conflicts...”  
Madas’ eyes got glassy and distant for a second, “It has been difficult... but this time does seem... different. I am lucky that many of my old memories have dimmed as well. I fear if I had to bear the weight of all I’ve seen and done, it would be far too much.”  
The Goron smiled sadly, “I’m glad this time is seeming better, tough I mourn for all the troubles you’ve been through. I hope, though, that I may provide some happy memories this evening.”   
Madas looked over at Zelda and Ganondorf, seemingly enjoying themselves with tests of strength and other things (though he wasn’t sure how). “Yes,” he said finally, “I think you have.”

Somehow, after a few games, Zelda found herself thrown into a wrestling match by over-enthusiast gorons. She had no idea how they thought that she could best someone with her petite frame, and from what she could see, they didn't care. To them, apparently, it didn't matter if you won or lost. What truly mattered to them was to take part into the competition and have fun.  
A strange tradition that Zelda could very well adapt to. Back home, every competition was geared towards winning and showing who was best, often sparking anger and hatred between the contestants. That was really disgusting to see, especially when the winner goated over the others and preened in front of her.  
"Mental note," she muttered to herself as she waited for her opponent. "Hire a goron for the next Hyrulean games. Or better, invite them." The gorons where still debating on who wanted to face her, and judging by the cacophony and raised hands, there was quite a competition for the competition.  
In the end, however, it was not a goron that faced her in the ring.  
"Ganondorf?" She asked, eyebrow raised in a mix of amusement and bemusement.  
The large man looked terribly embarrassed and shy at the moment. "Eh... hi?"   
Of all the people she might have expected to fight, Ganondorf was not one of them. But judging by the way the Gorons were already hooting and howling, she didn’t expect that she’d be getting another opponent. What she assumed was a referee of some sort started listing off a bunch of rules, which essentially boiled down to ‘don’t kill each other’. And then the ‘referee’ thumped a rock, and before she or anyone or Ganondorf could protest, yelled “START!”   
Still confused and dumbfounded, Zelda stood there for a couple seconds before dropping into something that may have vaguely resembled a wrestling stance. She didn’t know. After all, Hylian princesses typically didn’t wrestle. Especially not with a bunch of Gorons in the mountains against what everyone thought should probably be her worst enemy. Said person was settling in nicely to a very professional-looking wrestling stance after a moment of hesitation. Oh, Zelda thought, So this is how it’s going to be…

And with that, the pair began circling each other. Zelda keeping her eyes locked on the Gerudo, who was clearly not wanting to make the first move. Neither was she, so it was just a matter of who got impatient first. It ended up being Ganondorf, who darted sideways, almost hitting Zelda. She managed to dodge his grapple at the last second, jumping over his head and using his back as a springboard. With that move, the Goron’s whooped. It was going to be a longer fight than they thought. Or not. Because Zelda spent too much time in the air, and Ganondorf managed to regain his sense, whip around and grab her legs.   
Feeling the dirt rub into her face, Zelda hit the ground hard, causing Ganondorf to let go, a look of concern in his eyes. But she didn’t let it last, getting up, throwing her leg out, and knocking him off of his feet. He wasn’t going to take it easy on her if she had anything to say about it. She smiled, rubbing her cheek in an attempt to get the dirt off (though it didn’t do much more than smudge it).  
“Come on,” she said, “You can do better than that.” 

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. If the princess wanted a real fight, then she’d get one. Though he couldn’t promise it would be pretty for her. If she could outpace him on wisdom and controlling her power, then at least he could have his strength. And with that, he started wrestling. For real this time.   
After all, wasn’t that the point of these contests, to show your strengths and have a little friendly competition?  
Zelda barely managed a few more dodges, but took a charge right to the stomach. The breath was blown out of her as she hit the ground hard, struggling to get on top, but feeling bogged down by Ganondorf’s altogether impressive frame. Yeah, there was probably no way she was winning this fight. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t give the large man a run for his money.   
She twisted and turned, trying every technique she knew, and eventually, she managed to flip Ganondorf on his side and scramble away. Or at least try to, because they were still in an interlocking position, his arms wrapped around her shoulder blades and her knees pushing into his chest.  
And then everything stopped.   
And she noticed that Ganondorf seemed actually happy, and like he was enjoying himself, eyes shining with something she hadn’t seen much in the large Gerudo’s eyes.   
Not to mention, how close they were, tangled together, struggling.   
Or the fact that the Gorons seemed to be smiling and laughing knowingly.   
And Ganondorf noticed the determination and joy in Zelda’s eyes that the world wasn’t babying her anymore, that she could go out and live and play rough like this.  
Not to mention, she looked pretty... beautiful, even, just sitting here like this, mud slathered along her cheek, strong and powerful and giving him a bit of a run for his money, despite her size.   
“That’s five seconds on the ground for both of you!” The referee Goron laughed, “Good job, you both lost!”   
But neither of them heard that, because Zelda was too busy kissing Ganondorf.

The first thing Zelda thought when she moved back was 'wow'.  
The second was the realization of what she had just done, because this was something so... un-princess-like, so... rough and improvised and instinctual...  
The third was the embarrassment of noticing that there were way too many eyes trained on her.  
"Well," she coughed and stood up, face red and trying desperately to look at thin air. "That was... uhm...."  
She couldn't say more. Not when all she wanted to do was to express her joy and excitement for that kiss. Thankfully, she was not the only one in this situation as Ganondorf, for being the large and powerful man he was, he was as much as happy and embarrassed as she was.  
"Maybe... I should..." Zelda coughed and tried desperately to regain any semblance of control she had left in her. "My! I think we took the ring for far too long!" One of her hands grabbed the Gerudo's arm and hauled him back on his feet with surprising strength. "I'm sure there are more people here that wants to test their strength!"  
It was only after the fact that Zelda realized that her dragging Ganondorf away didn’t make things seem any better. Or less awkward for that matter. 

Neither of them really got to talk about it, being quickly thrown into various combats or challenges or whatever the heck the gorons came up with next. She bumped into Madas at some point, who looked confused but also very happy. She wondered if anyone had told him what happened. And as the night wore on, celebrations slowly winding down in preparation for the feast, she wondered if she’d made a mistake. Not that she had much time to wonder about anything with everything that was happening, but still.   
As the last of the competitions finished, huge platters of rocks were brought out, handed out to various Gorons who merely glanced at some, but grabbed others like they were solid gold. One oddly steak-shaped rock was quickly gone, leaving a server to run into one of the huts and grab some more.   
It wasn’t hard to spot her and her companion’s spots, as they were the only plates not adorned with a heaping mass of rocks. She sat down at one of the spots, finding a soft cushion under the table for her to seat herself on.  
Being tired, sweaty, hungry, and altogether done, the food looked really good. Though she wasn’t sure it would look this appetizing in another situation. Apparently the Goron cuisine was more rock-based, and she doubted they got many visitors. She also wasn’t sure if she should start eating, or wait until the host ate (where was Darunia anyway?).   
Almost as if to answer her question, the Goron chief sat down on her left, dropping with a large huff. He looked just as sweaty and messy as she did. She supposed that made sense, after all, he’d competed as well. Which was weird to her. Normally the ruler (at least in Hyrule) didn’t actually participate in these frivolous celebrations. Though, she supposed that different places would have different customs and such.   
“Did you enjoy yourself, princess?” Darunia asked, smiling his usual giant smile. Though he refrained from any back-slapping this time. Perhaps he too was completely exhausted.   
Zelda looked up at the Goron chief, “Yes.” she replied truly, “I rather did.”   
Before any more conversation could ensue, Madas plopped down beside the chief, joining him at the head of the table. Darunia smiled, regaining enough strength to pull the deity in a headlock and ruffle his snow-white hair. They looked like two brothers.   
And then Ganondorf plopped down on her right. He looked as if he’d just run a marathon. Madas laughed, “Rock throwing?”  
“Rock throwing.” Ganondorf replied, shoving some water into his dry mouth.  
And with that, the feast commenced. 

Zelda tried her best to be proper, but ended up shoving all the food in her mouth as fast as she possibly could. It tasted so good after the long day they’d had. As the meal went on, fatigue was replaced by loud conversation, the telling of deeds and feats of greatness, the chatter of normal conversation. Madas and Darunia seemed to be catching up, smiling and talking all throughout the night. Every once and a while, a Goron would engage her in conversation, asking questions or saying how well she did in this challenge or that challenge. She wondered if she should say something to Ganondorf. Maybe explain herself? After finally mustering her courage, she turned over to him.  
“Do you want to talk about what happened...” she started slowly.   
Ganondorf turned to her, “What’s there to talk about? I mean I’m sure-I think- maybe didn’t we both enjoy that?”   
Zelda nodded, earning a smile from the Gerudo man. “The question is now,” she continued, “What do we want to do about it?”  
Ganondorf hummed to himself while his eyes roamed around the room. His mind was far from the Goron party right now as Zelda had posed an interesting question. While he was a man that lived by the day and dealt with problems as he came across them, the princes was also right.  
What bout it? What were the consequences of falling for the fabled holy princess? Would Hylians... heck... would her father even let him in the same room with the reincarnation of their goddess? Especially when they finally figured out who he was?  
"I am...." he paused and licked his lips. "...unsure. I mean... I... wish there would be a... happily ever after, but..."  
He started to gesticulate wildly into the air with his hands, hoping that the movements would carry his emotions and thoughts better than his mouth could. "Zelda... I..."

I love you. I'm scared. I don't want to lose you.

All words he wanted to say, but couldn't find the courage to do so.  
A delicate hand found his, and Zelda gently carried them down so that they rested between them. "I understand. Politics and all that. But..." she paused and she bit her own lip now. "I'm sure there's a solution. All we have to do is find it, right?"  
Ganondorf smiled. It was tiny, but it was sincere and the man felt relieved. He inclined his head forward, as a sign of respect for the young woman in front of him. "I am so lucky to have met you."  
He felt something press against his own forehead, and in that moment, he felt at peace with the world.  
"You're the first person to treat me as a person, and not as a glorified glass vase," she whispered, "...don't leave me."  
Her soft words hit a nerve within him, and suddenly Ganondorf knew he'd do anything for her. Even if it meant going against the wishes of their respective gods and face them in battle.  
It was a good thing they had one of them as a friend. It didn't matter if the war god was currently draped over the table and laughing breathlessly due to too much alcohol and a bad joke from a nearby goron, Ganondorf knew Madas would be on their side.  
With that sorted out, the night passed quickly in a blur of joy and laughter. Ganondorf had to carry Madas back to their Hylian-friendly hut, with him snoring loudly on the gerudo’s shoulder. Zelda laughed lightly, brushing a piece of snow-white hair out of the deity’s face. After they got back to the hut, and once they’d lain Madas down on his bed, Zelda waved goodnight to Ganondorf, brushing another kiss on his cheek.


	18. Up The River

With the morning came farewell, as the trio waved goodbye to the Gorons, thanking them for their hospitality. Darunia wrapped Madas in a death-grip hug, making the deity promise to keep himself safe and not push too hard. He shook hands with Ganondorf, whispering something into the man’s ear, and bowed to Zelda, causing the princess to blush.   
And with that, they set off down the river. It was time to visit the Zora.

"Never have it easy, uh?" Madas asked himself once they were out of the mountains.  
Right now they were standing atop a hill, with Death Mountain behind them and the Zora river far off in the distance. The way was straightforward, with no woods or muddy terrain to cross. Very easy journey if it wasn't for the several army encampments dotting the landscape.  
"I'm sure we can find another way," Zelda muttered. Her eyes were scanning the horizon, for any alternative way to Zora Domain. "I mean... the Hyrulean army isn't that big, right?"  
Ganondorf crossed his arms and snorted as loudly as an angered boar. "Wrong. The army has been growing quite a lot lately, and from your reaction, I bet no one told you."  
There was no way he was going to blame Zelda for any of the problems her kingdom had. All her life she had been held back from knowing what was going on around her, often labeling it as something not worth of the goddess' attention. An underhanded trick of making sure that Drekko guy could do whatever he wanted, because Zelda was smart, and if she knew, she would have done something about it.

"They are probably expecting us to look for an alternate route." Madas sat down on the grass and looked dejectly at the camps. "I think we have no other choice than go through them."  
A gasp left the princess' lips and she rounded on him with the speed of a falcon. "I am not letting you cut people in half, Madas." She was still adamant on saving as many people as possible, after all. "I bet many of them were tricked into this."  
The deity raised his hands in surrender. "Woah there, I never said I'd cut my way through," he replied quickly, giving a small smile. "Actually, I think I have an idea, buuut... we got to make a detour to the nearby market town first."  
Ganondorf looked down, “I have a bad feeling about this...” 

...

The three of them waited until it was almost dark, when Madas waved to them and gestured towards a small store that seemed about to close. The storefront was bright whites and reds, decorated in what seemed to be a large clown mask.   
“That’s a little creepy...” Zelda commented, “Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Madas?”   
Madas smiled as a tall man with red, cropped hair and an oversized backpack stepped out, about to lock his store with a key that had a face inscribed upon it. The deity jumped over the bush that the three of them were attempting to hide behind; jumping up behind the man and tapping him on the shoulder.

The Happy Mask salesman looked around, “Hello Link. You’ve gotten yourself in another spot of trouble, haven’t you? And yes, I see your friends.”   
Madas smiled, gesturing to his companions, “Yes, indeed. Let’s catch up a bit. Also, I need my old masks.”   
The salesman nodded, “Of course. Though I would love to catch up... anyone fancy a cup of tea?”   
Ganondorf shrugged, getting up. He wasn’t one to refuse a cup of tea.   
They walked into the store, following the man, who was grinning in a slightly creepy fashion. Madas pulled some round, flat things out of his pack and the man smiled. 

“Fine masks as always. I can’t imagine where you find these things... now your old masks… yes… I have them right here.” he grabbed three masks from the top shelf, one shaped like a Deku scrub, the other like a Zora, and the third like a Goron. He handed them gingerly to Madas.  
Madas put them down on the table. Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. How could these pieces of wood and paint help them get past an army? Maybe they were special somehow... He went to brush his finger along the top mask, the Deku mask... Why did it suddenly feel like he was buzzing?   
“NO!” Madas gasped, “Don’t-“   
But it was too late. And Ganondorf suddenly realized that everything was bigger. Like a lot bigger.  
“-touch that...” Madas finished, sighing. 

Zelda giggled, bending down to touch the burgundy Deku scrub with the tiny black cape and sideburns that was sitting in the middle of the carpet. “That’s a nice look Ganondorf.” she barely managed to keep a straight face and finish her sentence as she burst out laughing.   
The Happy Mask salesman smiled, “It comes off. You just have to get the hang of taking it on and off.”   
Ganondorf scrabbled at his wooden face, trying to get the mask off, “How do you do this?!?” he chirped.   
“Aww,” Zelda cooed, hands tucked against the side of her face, “Even his voice is tiny... isn’t he sweet, Madas?”   
Madas nodded mutely, face red from holding in the laughter.   
Ganondorf’s face was red for a very different reason.   
Eventually, he managed to heave himself up on a chair and grabbed a teacup, trying to splash some into his oversized mouth somewhat successfully. This time even the Happy Mask salesman couldn’t hold in his laughter.  
"Get it off now, or you'll regret it, Madas."  
Ganondorf's threat was empty, and both the deity and princess knew it. Still, the Gerudo had a point in wanting to get the mask off. No one in their right mind wanted to be something they weren't without a good reason.  
Besides, going from a big man to a tiny... wooden... something was not something Ganondorf considered acceptable.  
"Alright, alright," Madas laughed. He took the ocarina that Zelda had given him and brought it to his lips. "I suppose you'd rather go with the Goron mask than the Deku one."  
The music that came from the instrument strangely soothing. Zelda's hidden fears, her worries, her sadness... it was all washed away by the slow notes. Even Ganondorf felt as if his life had never been a harsh one.

"Ahh... the song of healing," the mask salesman nodded with a smile. "You still remember it, but again, the Fierce Deity is the patron god of justice and music."  
Zelda looked at him in confusion, deciding that his words were more interesting than Ganondorf reemerging from his transformation. "I thought Madas was defined as a war god?"  
The man laughed, a large grin plastered on his face. "My dear, the only reason he wages wars is to bring justice. It is not my fault if you people can only see his actions, and not his reasons."  
"Never judge a book by its cover, huh?" Ganondorf was back to his self now. He looked down at the wooden mask in disgruntlement while massaging his jaw. "The more a story goes on, the more it will be warped.”  
Madas nodded, looking down as the memories washed over him. His story wasn’t one that many people ever got right. The citizens of Hyrule tended to either glorify or demonize someone without needing to know the full story. Without needing to know the sacrifices and pain that had to be pushed through to do what he needed to do.   
He sat down, putting his face in his hands and rubbing his temples. The Happy Mask salesman put a hand on his shoulder and nodded at the deity. The salesman knew something of the struggles he’d been through; time after time he’d encountered the elusive and eccentric collector.   
“I-I didn’t mean to say anything to upset you, Madas.” Ganondorf ventured.   
Madas looked up at the Gerudo, “It wasn’t anything you said. It’s not your fault.”   
And it wasn’t. Ganondorf was different than the other conduits of Demise that he’d met. It gave him hope for the future. And the fact that him and Zelda got along so... well. It made him happy. He smiled, grabbing the mask from Ganondorf. Zelda grabbed the Zora mask, holding it carefully so as not to activate it. Ganondorf grabbed the Goron mask, nodding and seeming immensely more happy with this situation than his last one.

The group took some time to socialize with the salesman, Madas feeling immensely better after talking to his old... friend(?). After they were done, the man disappeared suddenly, taking the shop with him. Madas was used to this. Ganondorf and Zelda however? Definitely not.   
“What in the actual name of Hylia just happened?” Zelda blurted, glancing around and wondering where the building they were in just went to.   
Madas laughed, “Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that he does that?”   
“That’s a pretty big detail to ‘forget’,” Ganondorf commented, “Oh yeah, sidenote, he just randomly disappears, it’s fine...”   
Zelda looked down at her mask, putting it on her face delicately. A few seconds later the princess had changed into a Zora. And she still looked like a princess. Go figure. “Let’s go.” she stated, “We need to get to the Zoras before Drekko does.”   
Madas and Ganondorf nodded, placing their respective masks on. It was time for the motley crew to bluff their way past some guards.

They must have looked like an odd group, because as soon as they reached the vicinity of the first camp, many of the soldiers cast their curious gaze onto them. Madas couldn't blame them at all- though- because a Zora, a Goron and a Deku traveling together was an oddity.  
Still, curious eyes were far better than suspicious ones, so the deity was perfectly happy in dealing with his current short legs and tiny voice. Besides, Ganondorf was currently carrying him over his shoulder, so he also had a pretty good vantage point.  
"I do hope you are not getting used to this, Madas," the Gerudo disguised as Goron said. "Because it's getting repetitive. And you are not my kid that I can let sit on my shoulder."  
The deity snickered. "Don't worry. I like walking too, it's just... with this body I would have to run after you."  
No one actually said that it had been Zelda who had proposed the idea. Or better, she had grabbed Madas under his arms and deposited him over Ganondorf's shoulder without asking first.  
"Oh, sush you two." The princess was smiling, showing how much she was enjoying her zora disguise and the anonymity that came with it. "We all know that the faster we get there, the better. Besides... you look perfect this way. The big guy helping his small friend get around."  
At that moment, a guard decided to finally approach the group. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask who you are, what you’re up to, and where you’re going... We don’t mean to trouble you, we have just been notified to look for some dangerous fugitives in the area.” 

Zelda nodded. While her companions looked confused, she had prepared an explanation for this very occasion. After all, she knew the protocol of the army. She’d only had to study it her entire life after all.   
“Adla is my name and this is Dorf, we’re travellers going to the Zora kingdom. We found this little Deku wandering around. His eyes are hurt and the Zora kingdom is the only places where they have eyeball frogs to help.”  
The guard raised an eyebrow, looking the group over for a few excruciating, tense seconds before nodding. “Understood. I shouldn’t delay you then if it’s a matter of medical urgency.”   
Ganondorf gaped at Zelda for a few seconds before following the princess of the checkpoint. Zelda felt confident. After all, she knew procedures. She could help her friends get through the other checkpoints. They just had to let her do all the talking. 

And it was a lot of talking. 

She was pretty sure she could recite her little spiel about the eyeball frogs by heart by the end of the day. There were seriously a lot of checkpoints. A crazy stupid amount of checkpoints. It looked like Drekko was considering them a real threat, and was using every measure possible. Including what seemed like the entire Hylian army,  
It was getting exhausting. And by the time they finally reaches the Zora river, they had gone through ten different checkpoints and had been eyed by over a hundred guards. One had even insisted upon checking their bags. It was a good thing that she’d thought of jamming the ocarina in her outfit, or else they would have been caught for sure.   
She supposed it was better than getting stabbed by said guards.   
As they stumbled exhaustedly up to the gate leading to Zora territory and marking the beginning of the river, another guard came up from behind them. The young soldier looked as if he’d been running for a significant distance. “Princess?” they gasped.  
Zelda’s eyes flew open. As she turned. They were alone. Would the group have to defend themselves?   
But instead, the guard dropped to his knees, offering her her family necklace. “You dropped this.” Getting up, the young guard saluted. “You still have allies, Princess.”   
And then they left Zelda staring open mouthed at the triforce insignia in her fingertips.

"Well, that was unexpected," Madas' uncharacteristically squeaky voice resounded once the guard had left. "Not all guards left in the kingdom are idiots or traitors."  
Zelda was still stunned, but she managed to recover soon enough to hide the necklace before anyone else could see it. "That is a great relief to me," she replied. A small smile finally appeared on her lips after a long and grueling day.  
"Makes you wonder where the good ones have been sent," Ganondorf was crossing his large arms and looking at the distant camps with narrowed eyes. "Or if they are still alive..."  
If he had a proper mouth, Madas would have grinned. "Maybe we can call them back if we figure out where they were. I'm sure they'd be pretty fast on their feet if their princess issued an order." He paused and hummed. "Problem is, issuing that order and having it delivered..."  
"Maybe we should think about that once the keys are secured..." Zelda was massaging her forehead now. The stress and continuous lies were giving her the beginning of a huge headache. "I hate to think what he's planning to do with them."  
"Oh, about that..." Madas swung his little legs, hitting them against the Goron's rocky shoulder. "The keys are needed to access the inner sanctum of the Temple of Time, where the Master Sword is stored, and where the door to the Sacred Realm is located. But we're in luck. That door can be opened only by drawing the sword, and guess what? There is only one person that can hold it."  
Ganondorf raised an eyebrow, “Does that person’s name happen to start with ‘M’ and end with ‘s’ and have ‘ada’ in the middle?”  
Madas laughed, “We should take the masks off and go into the waterfall...”  
“That wasn’t an answer, Madas.” Zelda commented, frowning. 

Madas laughed, pulling out a set of rather large pipes and playing a melody that was softs and sweet, low and beautiful. Something Zelda had heard many times before, when she was young and her mother sang to her. Part of her wanted to ask Madas how he knew the lullaby, but part of her knew that was foolish. After all, he’d known the Royal Family for centuries.   
The waterfall parted as the music continued, revealing a pathway that wasn’t there before. The deity pulled his mask off and stretched, glad to be back as himself, then played the song of healing so the others could do the same.   
Before any of them could enter, a Zora woman walked out from beneath the waterfall. “I would recognize that melody anywhere. It’s been awhile.”   
Madas blushed, looking down and rubbing the back of his neck as Zelda and Ganondorf stared at him. “You know how it is... I forget things for awhile after...”  
Ruto nodded, “Of course. I’m still mad, though.” she looked up, “Who are your friends?”  
Zelda gained presence of mind first, “Zelda.”  
Ruto raised eyebrows, “Zelda ‘I’m missing from the kingdom’ Zelda?”   
“Um well yes.” the princess replied, “And this is Ganondorf.” 

Ruto gave Madas a look before she gestured the group inside, sniping questions at the deity, “Where have you been? How long have you remembered? Why didn’t you come sooner? Why don’t you ever stay? Can’t you be in one place for longer than two seconds?”  
Madas stumbled over his words, “Um uh um...”  
Ruto sighed, putting a hand to her forehead, “Look, I know what you go through, and I know that I was annoying as a child, but...” she sighed. “We both made promises, husband.”  
Madas looked down as the two moved out of earshot of Zelda and Ganondorf, who were still staring dumbly at the deity’s back.   
“Wait.” Zelda gasped, turning to the Gerudo, “Madas is married?!?”

The ensuing moment was nothing less than awkward, with Zelda and Ganondorf looking between Madas and Ruto, the deity looking between being embarrassed and frustrated, and Ruto looking like she had conquered the world.  
"Ruto," Madas sighed, mustering up all the patience he had. "We are not married. You set up the whole thing, and even if the Zora gem was a token to give to your betrothed, your elders would never allow their princess to marry someone that's not a Zora, much less a commoner."  
Ruto puffed her cheeks and threw a finger at Madas. "Let those old timers say what they want. Besides, you're no commoner. You're the Hero of Time, and a deity. A god. Nothing is above you."  
Madas pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ruto, I'm not a Zora. Your people don't believe in... external deities. The only reason they respect the other gods is to maintain peace."  
The zora princess waved a hand, dismissing her “husband’s” words. "I'm the princess. I get to choose who to marry."  
"You don't get to choose. Your father will. Traditions and all that," Madas was quick in replying, indicating that this was not the first time they had this discussion. "He'll have my head if I even proclaim wanting to marry you. The last thing I want is being chased around by the whole population of the Zora Kingdom."  
As the discussion went on, Ganondorf leaned down towards Zelda. "I feel like I'm intruding into something..."  
Zelda nodded, “They argue like they are already married... though that doesn’t seem the case. Not exactly. I’m very confused.”  
Ganondorf laughed, “You want to go to the shop or grab something to eat?”   
Zelda raised an eyebrow, “And leave Madas to deal with this mess?”  
The Gerudo just smiled back as the two of them slipped away.


	19. Reflection and Subterfuge

After a long and arduous argument Ruto finally agreed, throwing down a rock and sighing, “You’re probably right. And I hate it.”  
Madas nodded, “It’s not something that you’d exactly like. You like being in control.”  
Ruto sighed, “I suppose I do. But I feel like I’ve gotten better since you last knew me. Though, it’s been a very long time. I did miss you. Do you want to catch up?”   
Madas smiled, “Yes. I think we can do that.”

…

Drekko looked over the towering cliff face at the white-haired pest far below. He had sensed the deity come through, even if his stupid guards hadn’t picked up on the man’s passing. The god was sitting and talking jovially with the Zora Princess, but it wasn’t time to strike. Not quite yet.   
But it would be soon.

…

The evening spent in the Zora Domain was a complete opposite to the one in Goron City. While it was still very enjoyable and everyone was having a good time, the Zoras had a more graceful way of throwing a party. Sure, there was music and dancers (and people still retold old stories) but Zelda could see the vast difference.   
Something that Ganondorf couldn't fully appreciate due to his rough and blunt personality. He was smiling awkwardly, thanking Zoras with a small nod and an unsure voice.

"Maybe you should go rescue him," Madas suggested, coming up to Zelda. He had a very knowing smile on his face. "You know, before he melts through the floor or something."  
Princess Ruto was standing next to him with a similar smile. "So, when is the marriage? I must get an invite! I have never been to Hyrule's capital! It would be a perfect opportunity to see it!"   
Zelda spluttered, “Well I mean no it’s not.... we’re not.... there’s nothing planned.... I don’t know... um... nothing that serious I mean... I don’t know...”  
Madas raised an eyebrow, “Interesting phrasing, Princess. Did something happen that I don’t know about?”   
Ruto laughed, “I maintain that I want an invite when the wedding happens.”   
Ganondorf took the opportunity of his friends being near to slip away from the Zora that we’re currently interrogating- sorry, talking- to him. “So what are we talking about?”   
“Nothing much!” Zelda said quickly, “Just mentioning how... um... delicious the food is at the buffet!”   
“Interesting,” the Gerudo said, “I shall have to check it out.” 

Madas and Ruto exchanged knowing glances and the deity grabbed Ganondorf and showed him over or the food table, the two laughing as they walked away. Zelda and Ruto stood quietly for a few moments and the princess couldn’t help smiling at the lack of experience that her companions had with Zora cuisine.  
“It really is an acquired taste, isn’t it fellow Princess?” Ruto commented, “Nice segway there. Why didn’t you want him to know what I said?”  
“I just... um....” Zelda sighed, “I just don’t know what’s happening myself. I mean, I just don’t think.... thinking about a wedding already seems to be moving too quickly. And things are nice now.... I don’t want to mess that up.”   
Ruto put a hand on Zelda’s shoulders, “In my experience, people don’t like giving Princesses what they want. If you want something, then you have to take initiative yourself. But just try not to be a brat about it like I was as a child...” Ruto smiled, “You seem happy. Keep that.”   
Zelda looked at the Princess, “Thank you.“ she looked at Ruto, a question popping up suddenly in her brain, “What’s up with you and Madas?” Zelda asked.  
Ruto looked down, her smile evaporating, “That’s a story for another time.” She shook herself, “But now it’s time for partying and merriment! Go save those poor men that you condemned to the buffet.”  
Zelda laughed, “You come too. I’m sure we would all really like to talk to you more!”  
Ruto smiled, letting the princess lead her towards the buffet table, “Yes, I’d like that.”

The buffet would have looked high class if it wasn't composed mostly by raw fish and whatever else lived in the water. Fortunately for the non-zoras, there were also cooked dishes, which Madas and Ganondorf were happily taking advantage of.  
"I see you're as hungry as always, Link," Princess Ruto had a small smile on her lips. It was clear how amused she was at seeing her childhood friend stuffing his face with food. "Reminds me of that time when you returned to give back the Zora gem. How much did you eat then? Half a Zora's daily catch?"  
Madas looked up, the tail of a shrimp poking out of his mouth just before it completely disappeared. "Now, princess, half a catch is stretching it," he said. "It was more like one-third."  
Ruto raised an eyebrow. "Link... one-third is still a lot considering how much stuff a Zora can catch in a day." Still, she ended up laughing and the sound of it caused nearby listeners to laugh too.  
"Hey, can't blame the guy that spends several days with little food and sleep because of monsters," the deity defended. "Those things are relentless."  
Ruto laughed again, waving away the explanation as if it was unnecessary. She went to sit down next to him and curled her arms around one of his and leaned against his shoulder. "You should take it off, the mask I mean." Her voice was soft, and it almost went unheard by Zelda and Ganondorf. "I miss those blue eyes that mirrors the sky."  
Madas ignored Ruto's comment, but his mood had sobered up. "You realize that if the elders or your father sees us like this, he'll have my head?"  
"Oh, shooo my father and those other dried fishes," Ruto's attention had been successfully diverted away from a potentially troubling topic. "I'm the princess. I say and do what I want! But if you are so worried, why don't you use that Zora mask? You look good in that too."  
Madas smiled sadly, spacing out. He hadn’t gotten a chance to tell Ruto that this wasn’t the mask, it was him. The deity. As he should be. The mask only held his power.   
He was honestly scared what would happen if he did. 

Zelda, thankfully, picked up on the tension and was able to distract Ruto by asking more questions about life as a Zora or what was proper party procedure. He was certain, however, he would be asked about it later. The princess wasn’t one to let things go.   
Ganondorf, meanwhile, had eaten something that he’d disagreed with and was currently trying to find a good place to empty his gut. Apparently desert and seafood didn’t mix all that well.   
He sighed, going out alone the area at the top of the waterfall to think. He let his legs hang out over the edge, the rushing water soothing his aching body. Turning into his divine form when Drekko had attacked before had taken more out of him than he’d care to admit.  
At least he was among friends, so that wouldn’t be a problem.  
Would it?

His question was quickly answered as the sound of a flurry of wings called his attention behind him. Most everyone was downstairs, enjoying the party. So he was mostly alone.  
That was his first mistake.  
The second was forgetting that he wasn’t the only person who now possessed the song of soaring.

“Hello, little Deity.” Drekko whispered into his ear, putting a hand on his mouth and another around his throat, “You’re weak. I sense it. Which means you’ll be the perfect bait...”  
Madas felt a scream building in his throat, but couldn’t release it.   
“I wonder how well your companions will fare without their precious god’s guidance...” Drekko laughed softly, “Or your precious Princess. Oh she’ll be so distraught when she figures out what happened.”   
The notes of the song of soaring began to float around the air once more.  
“Now scream.” Drekko released his hand as the scream forced its way out before Madas could stop it.   
As the feathers surrounded his vision and he was whisked away, he saw only one thing.  
The anguish painted on Ruto’s face.


	20. A Desperate Mission

"My husband!" Ruto screeched, and that was what alerted Zelda and Ganondorf that something had just happened.  
And considering that princesses didn't just screech for nothing, it was probably something that required immediate attention. So, ignoring everything else, the two made their way to where the Zora princess was and proceeded to question her.  
Or at least tried to, considering Ruto had gone into a panicked tirade.

"Oh... ohh my poor, poor husband!" She spoke to the sky, towards the direction Madas had disappeared into. "Never a moment of peace for him! Curse you, fate, for throwing at him all these bad things and never a quiet moment!"  
Zelda placed a hand onto the princess' shoulder and squeezed gently. "I'm sure... I'm sure he will be fine. He's a god, after all."  
It might have been the wrong thing to say, because the moment her words had finished coming out of her mouth, the Zora princess wirled onto her with a fairly offended expression on her face. "Of course he'll be fine! You don't even know half the things he's overcome in the past, the feats he's accomplished, the demons he faced..."  
Her tirade slowed down until all that was left was sadness. "It's just... poor Link... how many times does he..." she trailed off into mumblings that neither Zelda nor Ganondorf could hear.  
What they noticed, however, was that the sadness on Ruto's face morphed into one of pure determination and anger.  
"Fine! If fate doesn't want to let up, I will not stand aside!" She squared her shoulders and started to march towards somewhere only she knew. "Come, friends! It's time to take up arms and go rescue my husband!"  
Ganondorf watched her go, then leaned towards Zelda as much as he could without being noticed. "You know... I'm afraid of reminding her that they aren't married..."  
Zelda nodded. Ruto was a woman on a mission, and as far as the Princess was concerned they could use all the help they could get. Especially if this was who she thought it was. And without Madas’ powers to aid them? Her and Ganondorf had been practicing with his instruction, but neither of them were sure they could handle a full-on fight. Especially not with Drekko, considering he had an enslaved musical spirit to work with.   
Ruto looked back at the two of them, flashing determined eyes in their direction, “Are you prepared for this... with weapons?”   
Zelda fingered her staff, which she’d slung over her back, “Ready, no. But I’ll happily go. Madas deserves that much.”  
“Aren’t we going to talk about the fact this is probably a trap?” Ganondorf asked, “I mean, he kidnaps Madas and then what. What would he use Madas for if not bait?”   
Ruto looked confused, “Why do both of you call Link Madas? Did I miss something?”

Ganondorf and Zelda exchanged glances. Neither was sure how much Ruto knew or didn’t know about Madas and his powers, or his curse. She clearly knew something, but did she know everything? And how much were they supposed to tell her. But they needed her help. Zelda opened her mouth.  
The Princess would speak first.  
Zelda took several long moments to ponder what she should say. Too little, and princess Ruto would be unsatisfied, too much and she would be overwhelmed. "Well," she eventually started. "How much did he tell you? I mean, about him and his life."

Ruto frowned. "I remember when he came back after many years. He looked young. Too young for a Hylian. Your people don't live half as long as other species. Yet there he was, looking no older than when we last saw each other. His answer was that he wasn't the one I remembered, but a reincarnation that possessed the same soul and the same memories. I didn't believe him at first."  
She took a pause. A long pause marred by a long and weary sigh. "Until he died in my arms... and... and came back years later. A bit different in the face, but with the same eyes and the same kind smile. That was when I... knew it was the truth."  
At that point her sadness turned into a frown, and her arms crossed against her chest. "What I don't understand is... why he wears that mask. I know he found them in that other land... Termina... but... this..." her frown deepened, and her hand went up to rub at her forehead. "I know he has used his masks to help him out, and he likes to wear them just for fun sometimes, but this is the first time he hasn't taken that one off.”

Zelda was finally connecting the dots. "So that's where..." she bit her lip and looked up at Ganondorf. Judging from his surprised expression, she bet he was having the same realization as her.  
"You look like you know something I don't."  
Ruto's deadpan voice startled the two and Zelda found herself nestling closer to the huge Gerudo for support. "Well... he didn't say... I mean... he did say, just not... explicit?" her hands started to fidget helplessly in front of her. "I... please, don't be mad at him? His... uh... life? circumstances? Well, they aren't easy. Or happy. Or... or... you know... I believe it's something really painful for him to talk about."  
The Zora princess narrowed her eyes and she almost glared holes into Zelda's head. "What is it?"  
Zelda cringed, but thankfully for her, Ganondorf was there to save her royal behind from a potential political incident. "This is going to take a while to explain." He said, voice as blunt as always. "Maybe we should talk about it while we get ready?"  
It took Zelda a while to work around to the explanation. She was afraid Ruto would be mad at her. Or worse, at Madas. But truth is a powerful thing and eventually it was required for Zelda to blurt out the words she’d been trying to avoid saying all along. And yet she couldn’t. But where her voice stuck, Ganondorf’s usual bluntness saved the day,   
“Madas— sorry Link— isn’t wearing a mask. That is him.” The gerudo stated. 

Ruto blinked, fingering her trident delicately and pausing in mid-motion. They’d been getting ready as Zelda had tried to avoid saying what Ruto needed to know, but the readiness stopped the second Ganondorf said the words.  
“But... that’s the mask of- of a deity... an old and twisted gift...” Ruto managed, “How... are you saying Link is... that Link is a god?!?”   
“Well, yes. But one that’s been stripped of most of his power from what I understand.” Zelda commented, “Perhaps as his mortal incarnations progressed, they resembled his divine form more and more?”   
Ruto stared into empty space for a few seconds before whispering softly. “Why didn’t he tell me?” she looked down, holding her shoulders, “I know I have my own flaws and sometimes I’m pushy, but I thought we were finally getting somewhere. I thought I knew things. And now you’re telling me that he’s been... what... lying this whole time, albeit indirectly?”   
Zelda swallowed hard and nodded slowly. “I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you this... I understand if you never talk to me again...”  
Ruto looked up, focus cutting through the pain in her eyes, “No, Princess. You told me the moment we came to know each other. Both of you. I can’t be angry at you for assuming I knew. And from how you two reacted to our... well, relationship-ish-thing, I guess he didn’t mention me. And I’m not angry. I just want to know why.”   
“We can’t answer that for you.” Ganondorf told her.  
Ruto nodded, pulling the strap of her armour tightly against her thigh. “Indeed you can’t. Which is why we still have to save... him...” She got up, slamming the back end of her trident against the ground. “Let’s go get our god, then.”   
As Ruto stalked out of Zora, sun catching the water on her as he walked through the waterfall, Zelda smiled and nodded to her companion. Ganondorf smiled back, hefting his broadsword over his shoulders.  
“Let’s go then.” he said.

Even with knowing in which direction Drekko flew in, Zelda and her party took almost a week of horseback riding before they even discovered a real track to follow. Then three days to reach and cross the deep chasm lining the north-west border of Hyrule.  
"I... Before all this, I never got outside the castle walls..." Zelda murmured once she turned around to look at her kingdom from the outside. "To think that now I'm here... so far from..."  
She was going to say home, but the more she spent time wandering with her friends, the more she felt that the castle was not her home. She had been born there, she had grown up, learned things, watched events in the city from the best vantage point, but in the end it had always felt...  
Zelda supposed that compared to what she had now, her castle, her supposed home, felt nothing but cold and impersonal.  
"Don't worry, we'll be back once we get Link out of the mess he got himself into." Ruto placed a hand onto the other princess' shoulder, but her smile faded when she noticed how troubled she was. "Something bothering you?"  
"It's... I don't think I want to go back there..." Zelda replied, casting furtive glances towards Ganondorf. The man was standing to the side, looking at Hyrule with well guarded emotions. "I know I have to, eventually, but... I'm so tired of castle life. It's all fake there..."  
There were times that she hated the moment she summoned Madas to her room for help. After all, most of the troubles he got into was due to that (like being mistaken for a pervert), and surely he'd been in the middle of something considering how muddy he was. Other times, however, like now, she was happy with the decision. Ganondorf was alive and in control of his powers, she had found love in said man, she had great friends, she visited places and meet more people.  
All thanks to an ancient deity that wasn't even what people believed him to be.

"If we work this out," Ganondorf spoke so quietly that his voice almost went unheard. "If my people accept me back, if yours stop being idiots, if... if we are at peace... I swear... I SWEAR... you can come to my home whenever you want."  
Ruto's grin appeared on her face the moment Ganondorf stopped speaking. "Well, isn't that a veiled proposal?" She chuckled. "Now, if only I could do something with Link... That boy is as slippery as a Zora, if not more."  
Princess Zelda blushed furiously, but chuckled nonetheless. Apparently, Ruto had learned a thing or two about lifting moods from Madas.  
Meanwhile, Ganondorf snapped out of his daze and looked at the two giggling princesses. "What did I say now?"  
Zelda laughed more. The man was as clueless as ever, and that was another thing she loved about him.  
"Alright, alright," Ruto cleared her throat and moved away from the chasm's edge. "Time to get back to work."  
The road down to the bottom of the canyon was treacherous, and the way was slow. Footfall after footfall was slogged in a worn-down march that seemed to get harder with every step. It seemed as if there was no end to the deep, ragged gash in the earth.  
And then it came. Rising up to meet them like the a yawning maw, the yellow-brown dirt was a welcome sight. But all knew the hardest part of the journey was just ahead.   
The path leading up the chasm was small, barely two feet wide and- for Ganondorf- not even that length. It wasn’t the sturdiest looking thing, and it would be pretty easy to throw rocks at the exposed adventurers from the top if one wanted to. And that’s what all of them feared.  
“I suppose we’re supposed to go up here.” Zelda sighed, “But why do I figure that’s exactly what Drekko wants?”   
“Because this reeks of his usual trap style?” Ganondorf asked, “And it puts us in a super bad position?”  
Ruto looked sideways, and then up, “I fear Madas is running out of time.” She sighed, “But this is a bad place. Perhaps if we walk more, we will find a better road. And if this... Drekko... wants to trap us, he’ll need Madas for it. And he’ll keep the boy alive. I hope.”   
Zelda put a hand on the Zora Princess’ shoulder, “We’ll find him.”  
“I sure hope so.” Ruto sighed, putting a hand over her heart, “But I fear for him nonetheless...”


	21. Godfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter may be considered intense: Reader Discretion Advised

Madas awoke aching and sore, vision blurred and body throbbing.  
“Hello,” a deep and distant-sounding and cruel voice said, “You’re awake. Good. Now it’s time for some more fun.”  
Madas would have asked for a clarification if he could talk, because his definition of ‘fun’ was completely different from what this sadistic lunatic believed in. Instead, he was forced to grunt out his displeasure. Whatever Drekko had done to him, it had not only caused a lot of pain, but also the inability to do more than just twitch a finger here and there.  
He blinked his grogginess away and finally noticed the pulsating red lines zigzagging all around him. From his position on the ground it was hard to tell, but he was pretty sure that he was laying face down right in the middle of a giant seal that prevented him from- well- moving.

Of all the deities, of all the spirits and mortal priests he came to know in all his lives, he knew of only one being able to suppress him like that.  
Demise.

Somehow, the mad lunatic had cracked past the barrier dividing the mortal world from whatever prison he had cast the corrupted god. Cracked it AND got enough power and knowledge to do this.  
He didn't know if Demise had lent said power or it had been taken from him, though. Either way, it was a bad thing.  
"... and once I have all that I need I will rule over this land and destroy anyone that stands before me!"  
Madas ignored the classic monologue and focused on his own body. It was in bad shape. Really bad shape. Before falling unconscious, he had fought against Drekko and his surprisingly endless army of monsters, killing so many of them that in the end Drekko had dished out the seal.  
After that, it had been an uphill struggle to even stay awake.  
He had been cut. He had been pierced by arrows. He was pretty sure that one of his knees had been shattered by the blow of a sledgehammer while his left shoulder was pulsating horribly in fiery pain. Perhaps the bite of a poisonous monster.

Suddenly, his thoughts were disturbed when a hand grabbed his hair and pulled back as far as his neck allowed to. "You are lucky I need you alive," Drekko hissed angrily. "But still, no one said you needed to be in one piece."  
Drekko released him, only to shove a nasty looking trident through his lower back so violently that it physically pinned him down onto the unforgiving stone ground.  
Not even the seal powered by Demise's magic could stop Madas from screaming his pain out.

Agony turned seconds into years. He’d stopped screaming a long time ago, his voice too raw to form anything more than a halfhearted hiss of breath. The only thing he still felt was the slight wetness of his own blood on his fingers and the cold stone on his even colder cheek. He didn’t even know how Drekko was keeping him alive in a state like this. 

They will come for me… his thoughts said, They will come and whatever dread magic Drekko is using will break and they’ll watch me die.

He didn’t want either of his companions to have to go through this. Or fall into whatever trap that Drekko had inevitably set for them. The world needed them. They were its last hope. He didn’t want to be the reason the world fell. He was supposed to be the hero. 

She will come too, probably. No one will be able to stop her, especially if she has her mind set on saving me. I know she saw.

He didn’t want Ruto getting mixed up in this. He’d always tried to distance her from all of this, from all of the pain. He didn’t do it to be dishonest, but because he wanted better for her. Someone better than him, who kept dying and getting sucked into a vicious cycle, someone who her father would accept. Yet she’d never quite let him go. He loved her for it, and hated himself for not pushing her away harder so she wouldn’t get hurt like this. But he’d needed something in all these years of darkness. And the different incarnations of Hylia’s conduit couldn’t always be counted on, not to mention the fact he fought Demise’s conduits more often than not. She was one person who he knew he could count on, even if she was stubborn and- yes- a bit entitled she was always there.

I don’t want to see them die.

This form was tired, and he could feel himself weakening more every second. He’d died enough times to know that when you couldn’t feel a trident through your lower back anymore, the end was near. Yet some strange invention of Drekko’s was keeping him on the precipice. He didn’t know how to break it. He didn’t know if he could. 

Why is everything getting so fuzzy?

He fought oblivion, struggling to stay conscious and hold on to some semblance of control. But he had none. He’d tried so hard to fight for this world, a world where things could be different. He didn’t want to be the reason why it burned. He didn’t want to be Drekko’s pawn. But, bound as he was, what could he do? How could he stop this?

You know what you need to do.

He had no magic left, and couldn’t push any of his energy into breaking the seal. But what if he didn’t need to push it out? What if he could push it in? What if he could burn himself, from the inside out, with the last of his strength? He’d come back, he knew he would. Likely stronger than this ruined mortal body he wore now. And this way he wouldn’t be used by Drekko. This way he could still protect the people he loved.  
He scraped out energy from himself that wasn’t there, feeling the shattering and ripping inside. Blood began dripping from his lips as the seal flickered with his existence. The marks on his face turned to searing fire, burning their agony behind his eyes and over his bones. The trident splintered inside him and the shards dug into his lungs, making his breath irregular. Eyes turned to searing white and blood began to run like tears down his face. And then Madas did what he does best.

He saved.

Drekko perhaps heard the gasped, coughed breath or perhaps noticed the light from inside the seal flicker as its occupant faded from the mortal coil, but he turned suddenly to see the scene unfolding in front of him. Face twisting into pure rage, he screamed as Madas used the last of his strength to send a final message.

...

Find me, the familiar voice told Ruto.

Then the connection shattered.


	22. Aftermath or Regroup

When the trio finally found Madas's location, it was a horrifying sight.  
The seal was huge, spanning the entire valley with its curves and ancient symbols, killing all life around it. There was no more power in it, but it still gave off a dreadful feeling that made everyone turn their head away in revulsion.

"We... we have to go..." Despite her determination, Ruto was the more reluctant one to go on. She had heard his words. She had heard the desperation and resignation in them. She knew they had been his last words to her in this life. She knew there was no way they could save him now.  
She wanted to go down there and recover his body, only to return him to his people where he could be given a decent funeral, or whatever they did when his mortal body died, but for the life of her, she couldn't make her legs work.  
She didn't want to see him dead. No matter if he was bound to return.

"I don't like this place..." Ganondorf was standing next to Ruto and was watching the valley in disgust. "This... feels wrong. Unnatural."  
It felt like Demise's powers, but there was something else to it that he could not recognize. And it was that unknown that made him hesitate.  
Zelda, on Ganondorf's other side, was silent. She was gazing at the lifeless valley with distant eyes full of regret and guilt. She had been the one to summon the war god. It had been her problems that had dragged him into this mess. If it hadn't been for her, he would still be alive, maybe back home to laugh with his people at a really bad joke.  
"Are... are we really sure he's gone?" She asked in a whisper, wanting to deny the feeling she had gotten when the strange sound had filled the silent air. It had almost sounded like shattering glass, but she was not entirely sure.  
Shattering glass could never be that loud.

Ruto lowered her head. Her hands fiddled with the trident, rolling it slowly. "I heard... I heard him..." she was fighting tears now. "Find him, he said..."  
Zelda's spirit lifted a bit as hope rekindled. "Then... then that means he's still alive! We have to hurry!"  
The look that Ruto gave her shattered any budding hope she was nourishing. "No, princess," the Zora whispered. There were tears in her eyes now. "Those were his final words. He asked me to find him when he returns to this world."  
Ruto gave a small smile full of sadness, thankful for the other princess' kindness, then started to make her way down the incline in a defeated pace. Zelda and Ganondorf stood back, watching her for a moment before following her lead.  
No one spoke. No one wanted to anyway. Not when their rescue mission had failed.  
When they found Madas, after walking for what felt an eternity, no one really wanted to approach him out of senseless fear.  
The war god was laying face down, eyes open and staring at nothing. there was a lot of blood on him and around him, staining his clothes and coloring his white hair red. Next to him, the remains of what could have been a spear or a similar weapon, though no one could identify it because the front half was missing entirely.  
"We should take him back to his people..." Ruto whispered emotionlessly. "They will know what to do... »

The trudge to Kakariko village was long, and the funeral longer. The group buzzed through it in a grief-induced stupor even as the people spoke hopeful words of coming rebirth and renewal. Of a saviour who would come for them again.  
Impa put a hand on Zelda’s shoulder, consoling her, “It wasn’t your fault. It isn’t the first time.”  
Ganondorf clenching and unclenching his fists, thinking if he’d just known how to use his power then things would be different.  
Ruto staring off into empty space, wondering if he’d even remember her in the next life.   
Nobody knew where to go next, nobody knew what to do. So they bumbled through the next few days the same way they’d bumbled to the village, moving mechanically as if they had a design, had something to do. But they had nothing.

At least not until Impa called them into her hut for a discussion.  
She was standing tall and imposing like a statue at the head of a table, a gleaming green stone in her hand. “Friends.” she began, ”You need training. You need experience. Both of you cannot hope to take on Drekko as you are now. He was strategic in his strike. Making sure that Madas was tired and you were unable to provide your full power to his aid.”  
“Don’t remind me.” Ganondorf growled, slamming his fist on the table.  
“This is not the time for anger.” the Sheika reprimanded, “This is the time for action. Madas hid the Stone of Forest well. Drekko did not find it on him. I hold it in my hand now- his final gift to you in this life.”  
“Yes,” Zelda commented, “But we do not have the Spiritual Stone of Water....”  
“That’s...” Ruto commented, “That’s not entirely true...”   
Zelda’s eyes widened as the Zora Princess pulled a blue gem out of her pocket and Impa continued, “As I said, you need training. The best you can get. And time. I know a place where we can get both.”  
Zelda took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. She was afraid that going any faster would break what little control she had left. "How... how long...?"  
How long do we have? she wanted to ask, How long will it take for Madas to come back?

"Madas will return to us in ten years," Impa replied with a quiet resignation. "He was reborn the moment he died, but his memories will not come back until he is ten years old. Looking for him now would be a waste of time."  
A deep sigh escaped her lips and for the first time since the funeral, Impa looked tired and old. "So we have ten years to get you up to shape."  
"We will be heading back to Hyrule Castle Town first thing tomorrow morning," Ruto spoke. Her eyes were locked on the blue gem she still held. "Drekko has disappeared, but it will not be long before he reappears and takes control of the kingdom. Before that happens, we will enter the Sacred Realm. There, we will be safe until it is time for us to come back."  
At the mention of the Sacred Realm, Zelda and Ganondorf shivered. It was as if the name alone had struck a powerful chord within their soul. The princess was speechless, but it was the Gerudo that felt as if the world had been taken from under his feet.  
"The Sacred Realm..." he whispered, feeling cold sweat run down his back. "Isn't that... Isn't that the place where the three Golden Goddesses met and left after creating Hyrule?"  
"It is." Impa's eyes narrowed to the point Ganondorf felt being stabbed by a hot knife.

...

The temple of time looked as Zelda remembered it. Tall, old, but still alive despite the stone being eroded by centuries of weather.  
"Hurry up!" Impa was at the steps, holding the giant doors open just enough to let the others pass. At her side, Ruto was looking out at the still sleeping city with sharp eyes.  
Zelda grabbed Ganondorf's hand and tugged at it. "We'll be fine," she whispered. "We have Impa and Ruto with us."   
When they walked inside and the huge doors closed behind them, Zelda noticed that they weren't alone. At the other end of the structure she noticed Darunia, Saria, and a couple of others she had never met.  
"Ah! Friends of brother Link!" Darunia's loud voice shattered the silence. "Welcome! It is good to see you safe!"  
"I would ask for an explanation," the tall woman next to the Goron narrowed her eyes at the group, mostly on Ganondorf. "But I trust Impa has her reasons to allow an exile into this sacred place."

Ganondorf looked down as a shadow passed over his face.  
“An exile?” Darunia asked, confused, “For what?”   
“For being born.” Ganondorf growled, stalking off. 

The rest of the people stood there for a few awkward and drawn out sentences before Zelda dashed after the Gerudo, who’d stalked off and slumped into a corner (or what could pass for a corner in this place). His head was in his knees, and she couldn’t see his face. For a second, she thought him angry and hesitated to put her hand on his shoulder. But she did, and Ganondorf tilted his head the smallest bit upwards. He was crying.  
“What’s going on?” Zelda asked, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and sitting beside him.   
“I don’t really know.” Ganondorf asked, “It- it’s just been hard, you know? Being thrown into this all of a sudden, and with what’s happened...” he sighed, wiping his tears with his gloved hand, “Plus the Gerudo lady going and reminding me about being an exile and all of that just made me angry for a bit but now I’m just too... too tired to be angry you know? So this.”   
Zelda rubbed his shoulder,”You know, talking about it helps. Are you an exile because of... you know... the power?”  
He laughed, “Yeah. Lucky me for being born wrong. It was like, ‘oh hey, you exist with some crummy power’ and then that was that. They tried to kill me too, but my mom...” he burst into another fit of sobbing before composing himself and continuing, “I just didn’t want a Gerudo to be here. I mean, I guess they kind of need a Gerudo sage but now everyone will know and what if they hate me too like my people did? I just... it’s too much right now.” he looked at Zelda with a helpless expression, which the princess returned with a smile.  
“If they’re sages, then they’re good people. And they’ll get to know you and realize how awesome you are, like I did.” she placed a kiss on his forehead, “Now take a few minutes, and then let’s go and meet everyone!”  
Ganondorf attempted a smile, “Okay.”

It took surprisingly longer than Ganondorf thought to get up and walk back to the group. He was slow, too slow for his liking, but who could blame him if he wanted to prolong the time it would take for him to meet with the Gerudo lady again?  
But then... then he remembered why he was there. Why he was still sane. Why he was able to fight off the curse before it took control.  
Madas. Or Link, as some people knew him.  
The god was the sole reason why he was able to follow up on his promise to not become evil. Well, there was Zelda too, but she had no idea until later. Madas... Madas seemed to have known since the very first meeting.  
It was a very humbling thought. Especially considering that most of the time he FORGOT his friend was a god.  
"I... am ready..." He muttered, not looking at the other Gerudo in the room. He felt her gaze onto him, but so far she had said nothing.  
Zeda was the one to clear her throat. "So, as I have said, Ganondorf here is a good guy," she explained. "He beat the curse and he has Madas' blessing."  
Madas had never outright blessed them, but she was sure that the god had blessed them through his actions and friendship. She considered his recent sacrifice as the most sacred of blessings.  
Hylia really needed to learn from him.  
"How can I believe you when I have no proof?" The lady Gerudo wasn't letting it go. Like all Gerudos, she was suspicious of the man that held Hyrule's worst curse.  
"I don't think this is the place to discuss this," Impa was quick in interrupting the argument. "Drekko could find us at any time. We need to make haste."  
There was a huff, but the still nameless Gerudo backed down by stepping back. "Fine. But still... are we sure we want to leave Hyrule in the hands of that madman for ten years?"  
"No other way," Impa replied quickly. "I am not taking any chances. Drekko was able to contain a god, then later kill him somehow. I will not have Zelda and Ganondorf out to be found when they have no experience to keep them safe."

Before any complaints or comments could be made, however, there was quickly a disruption. A crack from the entrance to the realm, a noise like the cutting of a box, and the flash of harsh light. Impa frowned, standing protectively in front of Zelda, pulling her weapon out. The other sages tensed as the light faded from their eyes and they began to see. The entrance closed as quickly as it had opened, but no one could quite see due to the glimmering assault upon their eyes. So they stood in terse silence waiting to discover who had interrupted this meeting.   
“YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE!” the unnamed Gerudo lady demanded, pointing in shock at one of the two figures that had suddenly appeared. Due to her life in the desert she was used to harsh light and as such recovered quickly. Ganondorf noticed next- but froze-looking numbly at Zelda with a face that read sheer terror. 

“This is a little melodramatic.” Hylia said, “Would you relax if we said we’re here to help?”


	23. The Divine Realm

Hylia’s companion scoffed at her words. “I wouldn’t believe anything that came out of YOUR mouth.” Demise said grumpily.  
“You’re NOT HELPING.” The golden goddess turned and fumed at her companion.  
“I said I’d come because that stupid Captain dude- YOUR Captain by the way- is siphoning my power and I want him to BURN. But I don’t have to like it.”  
“Can you at least not act like a combative two-year-old?”  
“You first, dear Hylia.”  
This, of course, elicited a rather strong response from the Goddess, who promptly attacked Demise and soon the two were trading fists on the floor. Impa cleared her throat, and the two paused, looking up. “Did you want something?” Impa asked harshly, “Or have any information? As my friend so clearly stated, you are not welcome here.”   
“I have so many things to offer my dear conduit in her training though.” Hylia pouted, “Yes, we do have new information. And it seems we have a common enemy.”  
“Pardon my language...” Zelda growled, “But kindly fuck off.”   
“You don’t even want to hear what we have to say?” Demise asked, dusting himself off from the scuffle.  
“No.” Ganondorf growled icily, earning a surprised look from the Gerudo lady.   
“Hmm, well such a pity then. I guess we’ll just let Drekko drain all our powers and become, what dear Demise, a triple god?” Hylia turned to leave.  
“Wait.” Impa said, anger seething on her face, “Tell us.”  
“Impa, no.” Zelda gasped, “We can’t trust them.”  
“Perhaps not.” her protector replied, “But we need them.... But if we let you stay you have to behave. And no talking or forcing things upon people who don’t want it.” 

Hylia and Demise turned to each other, nodding, before smiling innocently. “Oh yes. We’ll be on our best behaviour...”  
It turned out that Madas was right. Ten minutes into the conversation with Hylia and Demise, and Zelda understood that both were too rooted in their own view of how to handle things to mke true pace.  
So instead they had this sort of... temporary and unhappy truce.  
Still a truce, though, and surprisingly, Demise behaved fairly well despite his muttered jabs towards whatever Hylia was saying.  
As for Hylia, she was really trying to keep a serene demeanor.  
"As I was saying," she continued after another interruption from Demise. "In result to what Drekko has accomplished, we are here to help you."  
Zelda pinched the bridge of her nose. She could kind of forgive the gods for being caught by surprise by the madman. She could forgive the fact that they had different opinions and personalities. She could even forget the thick tension between them.  
What she could not forgive, however, was that they were both idiots.  
Not only that, but Demise had cast that awful curse and Hylia had taken advantage of Madas' cycle of rebirth to do her dirty work.  
After another moment of silence, she took a deep breath, but instead of letting it out slowly, she held it in. She needed it, after all.

"You... You IDIOTS!" She screamed. She didn't care if they were gods. They needed to hear this. "All this...! All of this! It's all because of BOTH of you!"  
She started to pace back and forth, and she was so angry that no one dared to stop her. "Not to mention you know NOTHING about mortals!" She continued. "Madas was right! You are both disasters!"  
Demise raised an eyebrow, quite amused. He was used to people being angry at him, cursing him for all the bad things happening in the world, and truth to be told, half the things that happened WERE his fault, so he was alright with the princess yelling at him.  
Thus, he just let it happen.  
Hylia on the other hand, was appalled. Hyrule was her land. Hyrule had her laws. Who didn't abide by them was wrong and needed to be either eliminated or corrected.  
That the princess, of all people, was yelling at her and saying that she was as much in the wrong as Demise... it truly struck a chord in her. But before she could let her anger explode in the face of the mortals, said princess whirled on her and pointed a finger right at her face.  
"No!" she yelled. "Don't even try! I know what you're thinking, and I will not let you get to it! You will listen to me, and you will think carefully about my words, because right now, as a deity, you are as bad as Demise is. Just in a different way!"  
Zelda was panting, but again, she didn't care as she resumed her angry pacing. She actually did five laps before she threw a hand up in the air in frustration. "Your actions... Both of you... it's the very reason why we are where we are now. And I don't just mean with the whole Drekko situation, but also past situations!"  
Oh, she knew of those. Not in detail, but enough to decide that this crap needed to stop, or at least to be toned down. A lot.

"Demise!"  
His name hollered in that way made the dark god stand straight. Not by much, but enough that some of the more attentive listeners noticed. He still held his defiant demeanor, but that was fine for Zelda as long as he listened.  
"You are not entirely wrong in saying that mortals NEEDS a strong hand to guide them. We, as a whole, are prone to greed and more. Without someone ruling over these kinds of people, things go bad really fast." She took a pause and looked into the flaming eyes of the god. "However, you are going too far saying that the weak need to be killed off."  
She then whirled onto Hylia, and instantly the appeased smile she had gotten out of Zelda's reprimanding Demise disappeared. "As for you, oh holy lady," she said that with quite the anger in her voice. "You actions aren't any better than Demise's! When Madas fell the first time, you didn't even bother trying to fix his situation! Instead, you took advantage of it and made him your champion so that HE could fix the chaos YOUR fight caused! And giving him a sword does NOT count as help!"

Her rant may be over, but she was far from happy, or calm, or appeased. She gave a huff and glared at the two gods. "Well, anything you have to say? Because if your kind of help is all about having to wait for Madas to return, then get out of here so we can get to what we were trying to do before you two suddenly decided to appear because you lost your powers and need help with that."  
The room went dead silent. Everyone was staring at Zelda with something between complete shock, disbelief, and a veiled sense of respect for saying what no one else dared to. Demise shrugged. Hylia gaped. Ganondorf backed away slowly. Impa smiled with pride.

“You ungrateful weasel.” Hylia growled, “You have my power, and your... your impudence is ruining everything I tried to build. I should strike you down right now.”  
“You ruined your own things because they’re garbage.” Demise nonchalantly stated, “I, for one, am glad. She seems better company than your hallowed self-righteousness. And be mad all you want, by all means. But you and I both know your threats for smiting are empty.”  
“And you can just sit there and pretend you’re happy with your conduit? I mean look at him.”   
“Hey!” Ganondorf said softly, not wanting to be hauled into the spotlight.  
“Happy?” Demise shrugged, “Nope. But I’m not wasting effort being upset about it. Especially when we have bigger people to murder.”  
“And what do you mean by that?” Impa asked, narrowing her eyes.   
“Don’t waste time wondering.” Demise said, making a motion to put his hand on his conduit’s shoulder, who abruptly pulled out his broadsword and backed away, “Woah. Still upset, are we?”   
“You. Ruined. My. Life.” Ganondorf growled.  
Demise’s eyes turned to flame, “I gave you power- a throne, and you did... what? Became a common street thief? A companion to your enemies? Maybe I should take back my energy and...” Demise extended a hand and made a grabbing motion, smiling.

Nothing happened.   
Zelda started laughing.   
“As I said, you are fools. You’ll find things have changed quite a lot around here. We’re not your puppets to play around with anymore. So enjoy spending ten years in a box with us- you’ll find that you are not the ones in charge. Not anymore. Still want to stay?”  
Demise growled ferally, punching the wall of the sacred realm with an earth-shuddering blow. Smoke drifted off his fist as he managed, “Yes.” in a low, angry voice that seemed to barely hold back a flood of anger. It did not make a god happy to be humbled.   
Hylia frowned, the more composed one for once, “I would not be with him if we had a choice. We will...” she forced the words out as if they were bile, “We will aid your cause as much as we can as long as it proves a detriment to Drekko.” she glanced to where Demise was standing, “Right, dear?”  
“Go burn and die Hylia.” he growled back, “You know I hate that, and I hate you. I hate this. You all are pathetic. But I am too, at the moment. And I hate it. But yes.” He punched the wall again.  
“That’s settled then.” Hylia chirped as Demise’s screams echoed in the background, “When do you two want to start training?”

...

Zelda was not sure how they started it. After some time spent in the same place, with no access to a day and night cycle, events had melded and become a blur in her memory. Hours, days, weeks... in the sacred realm those things didn't exist.  
It was as if time itself had decided to take a vacation and only the company of the sages and the two gods kept her and Ganondorf from losing their mind.  
Still, some of those events stood out from the mud, and whenever Zelda felt sad, they helped her remember why she was there in the first place.

She loved it when Ganondorf expressed such joy and pride in his summon. It was nothing but a small boar, with tiny tusks poking out of its mouth, but the moment the little piglet shot lasers out of its eyes and nearly cut Demise in half was... well, truly priceless.

Or even that time when Ganondorf clumsily tried to explain to her how to increase her own power. Madas might have been bad when it came to teaching, but the poor Gerudo was even worse. She didn't mind though. She loved his effort.

Then there was that other time when she walked up to the Gerudo Lady, Nabooru, and convinced her to at least give Ganondorf a chance to prove himself. She considered that a huge step towards giving the man what he truly deserved.  
Impa even vouched for him, which made Zelda even happier.

Hylia was a difficult sort at the beginning, but she eventually toned her holier-than-thou manners and became a better instructor. Zelda still had the occasional spat with the deity, but they still managed to work issues out before they became hindering.  
All in all, despite time becoming 'flat', despite their differences, despite their training not going as fast as everyone wanted, things were going well. Zelda and Ganondorf felt more powerful with each passing day. Or whatever 'day' was in that place.

"I can't wait to go out there and make Drekko pay..." Zelda said one day. She had said it many times in the past, but she still felt strongly about it. "For everything he did to us."  
Ganondorf was sitting next to her, looking into the empty distance with a frown. "It's not going to be easy," he replied. "Even with our training, and Madas, I feel like it won't be... a walk in the park."  
“No.” Zelda replied, “But with our training and determination...” she smiled at Ganondorf, “Nothing stands a chance.”  
And it was indeed beginning to feel that way. Zelda’s abilities had always been very well controlled but now... her physical ability and attack power was growing daily. Though her power was not the sheer, raw energy that Ganondorf’s seemed to always manifest, she felt confident.  
She had honed her abilities to the whip-point, and she was dangerous, albeit in her own way.   
She’d noticed a change in herself, as well. Her body was becoming more muscular, her movements more agile. It wasn’t just her that noticed either. Earlier, Impa had commented “Perhaps there is some Sheika in you yet.”


	24. Lyle Hylaen

The day Zelda earned the praise of her instructor was also the day that a lord’s son began to have nightmares.  
His name was Lyle Hylaen and his father wasn’t much of anyone. Some old family name that had earned him a plot to manage somewhere off near the eastern border of Drekko’s lands (as they were called that now) and the title of Lord, but nothing more.   
Five years ago a wicked fever had passed through the lands, leaving not even the quiet estate that the Lord called castle untouched. The Lord himself possessed some unfathomable immunity, but not so for his loved ones. He’d held his eldest son in his arms as the boy’s life had slowly ebbed into the sickly bed he’d laid upon, and then been forced to watch the same disease winnow away his wife, moment by moment. She’d been with child at the time. Of course- having been born on her deathbed- the child couldn’t survive. Not naturally at least. But a suddenly-freed godly spirit had whispered to the boy’s untethered soul a question, like a promise to the night air. And the unborn child, seeing the agony around him... the grief… the despair… had agreed. Even though it was far too young to understand.  
And so Lyle was born. 

His father- Loch Hylaen- regarded the child as nothing short of a miracle, and loved him passionately. Though a busy man, he managed to always find time to teach the boy in land management and literature and legends and stories (the latter of which the boy always watched with some far-off distant look in his eyes). Family time was sacred to this man, and he more than made up for his wife’s absence in the boy’s life.   
Lyle also had a sister.  
Chayne, a strong and stout woman who’d survived the fever, she was dedicated wholly to her pursuit of a place in the army. She’d taught swordplay to the boy, who took to the art like he’d been born with a weapon in hand. Or, in her words ‘a fierce spirit’. Her love for her little brother was equal to her father’s, and for a while they lived in happy harmony.  
Now, it was not time yet. Not at all. 

But when Loch saw his five-year-old son standing in the doorway at around midnight, complete terror in his eyes, the faint outline of markings on cheeks and head, he knew that this wouldn’t be the last time.

And just like he had thought, these nightmares continued.  
At first it was an occasional occurrence, happening only once in several days, but as the years passed, they became so common that Lyle barely slept at night. This caused the child to be grouchy at the best of times, and raging at the worst.  
At ten years of age, both father and sister had tried everything to help him. From healers to mystics to wizards. Yet nothing seemed to work and all they could do was watch as their kind boy slowly changed both in personality and looks.  
Once a bright, kind child with blue eyes and a mop of wild hair the color of sand, Lyle had become someone they didn't recognize.

And then, one night, father and sister found him staring at his reflection in the mirror in his room. He looked confused and lost, speaking to himself in a language that no one understood. The strange marking on his face that had only been barely visible were now more colored, while his hair and eyes were fading into white; it was as if those tattoos were slowly draining the colors into themselves.  
His father was the first to approach, kneeling next to the ten year old boy and placing a hand on his shoulder to gain his attention. "Lyle?" Loch murmured softly.  
The muttering stopped and the boy shook his head vehemently, hair flailing wildly around his head. "Not... not... not..." he whispered. His hands reached up and pulled at some of the hair. "Link... Madas... Kakariko..."

They were names he had never heard in his life, yet they came out of his mouth as if he always knew them. They were important to him despite the inability to understand why.  
He started to speak again in that strange language of his, pulling away from his father with a strength he should not have. The word Kakariko kept repeating several times until Lyle turned around and made a mad dash for the door, skirting around Chayne with ease.

That was when the chase started, with a confused and lost boy leading his family through the mansion in a desperate attempt to leave.  
He never got the chance to, however, since the nightmares had so confused the child that he failed to even recognize which direction was out in his own house. He stumbled around, narrowly avoiding being caught until he’d managed to find a room that had enough nooks for him to hide in and a convenient hallway that made it easy to think he’d gone somewhere else. It was his father’s room.   
As he heard the footsteps of his family rushing past, he buried himself in the closet. His mind felt like an elastic band stretched far too thin and sooner or later he was afraid he’d snap completely. The nightmares had taken over his life, second by second, invading his consciousness until he couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t do anything but take it out on everything around him. He was choking.  
As the footsteps faded into the distance, he poked his head- half-white and half-sandy hair- out of the closet. For some reason he felt compelled to ‘take a better stock of his surroundings’. He glanced about, barely registering anything, vision blurred, on the verge of vomiting.   
At least, until he saw it. A picture, placed delicately upon his father’s nightstand. A notebook underneath with “ways to help” penned in neat, golden cursive. He moved closer instinctively.  
The picture was beautiful, after all, the painter who painted it had been incredibly talented. It was delicate lines, soft shades, effortless blending. But Lyle noticed none of that. What he did notice was his own smile staring back at him, effortless and full, joy shining in his eyes. He noticed the way his father’s arm curled around him and his sister’s shoulders, loving tenderness in his eyes as he looked down at his boy. He noticed the way his sister smiled without abandon, a freedom in her eyes he’d not seen for many years. 

Chayne found him sobbing, clutching the photo to his chest. She grabbed him forcefully, pulling her little brother into a hug as he murmured words she couldn’t understand in his ear. Lyle could understand them though. He was repeating ‘I’m sorry’.   
“Hey.” his sister said, “It’s okay, we’ll get through this.”  
“I don’t know....” he managed in real words this time, “I don’t know what to do.”  
And then he buried his face in her chest and continued crying.

...

From high above the simple scene, King and Lord of All He Saw Drekko was popping grapes in his mouth. Turns out, things get terribly boring when you’ve erased any existence of your enemy, conquered the world, and suppressed any rebellion. 

Well almost.

The Gorons were being quite difficult, as were the Gerudo. Though, he’d have that cleaned up in no time, as he’d claimed the forest and water lands for his own. There was no conquest left, it seemed. Nothing to dedicate his time and energy to.  
“So what do you think, Ocaris?” he asked, “Perhaps a culling, just to liven things up. I’d been thinking there’s too many children around.”  
“Stop...” the spirit whispered from its prison inside him, “Please... Goddess... just... stop”  
“Perhaps I’ll kill musicians.” he laughed, “They are entirely too noisy at the best of times.”   
”No...” Ocaris begged, ”Not my children....”  
Drekko was happily thinking about the possibilities of this wonderfully dreadful idea when the doors to his private chamber slammed open to reveal his favourite lackey. “What.” he snapped, annoyed at being distracted from his plotting.  
“Sir.” the lackey told him, “We’ve found him.”  
Drekko stilled for a moment, repeating the words in his head while Ocaris screeched in desperation.  
"So he has finally returned," he chuckled, one mad grin spreading across his features. The first time he had miscalculated some things, but now he knew better. The curse on the Fierce Deity would forever bring him back to the world, no matter what he did, and killing the boy would only result in a return ten years later.  
While this would prove to be entertaining, it was still a huge risk. Cursed and weakened he might be, but he still was a god. One that was probably stronger than Demise and Hilya and a true danger to his reign.

But if he sealed him somewhere, it would be decades before he died of old age or something. Decades in which he could do as he pleased without interference.  
"Capture him," he commanded. If they were quick enough, they would find the reborn god still too weak to fight back. "Use everything you have, but do not kill him. I want him alive, do you understand?"  
The lackey stood straight and saluted. "I will make sure your wish is carried out, my lord!"


	25. A Desperate Journey

On the other side of the country, far from the capital, Lyle had finally broken. Gone was his ability to speak anything but that strange language. Gone was his smile.  
For days he refused to leave his room or let others inside, barricading the door with anything he could find. His mind was a jumbled mess of nightmares, memories that were not his, and an innate knowledge of ancient traditions and magic. It left him confused and unable to focus, and he would often stare emptily outside the window of his room.  
He was tired, but also unable to rest. There was an unspeakable need to leave, to run into the wilderness and never return. His memories and love for his family was dulled, almost hidden away by his turmoil, and all he could feel was that he was missing something dear to him.  
"Ka... Kakariko..." he whispered. Nowadays it was the only thing that he was able to say clearly.  
He turned around, faded blue eyes locking onto the door as someone banged on it. There was someone talking from the other side, but he couldn't remember who it was, nor understand their words.  
He didn't understand even when the man was able to push the door open despite the barricade he had created. Nor could he understand the frantic girl next to him.  
"Ka... Kakariko," he repeated, shuffling past them. "Kakariko..."  
He was so tired, yet he couldn't bring himself to stop.

Lyle only managed to stop shuffling when a set of arms wrapped around him from behind. His first instinct was to spin and hit whoever had just wrapped themselves around him, but he couldn’t manage the energy. Besides, there was something about the warmth of the man’s embrace that comforted him, even though he’d forgotten why. His knees crumpled, and he fell backwards into the man’s chest, tears streaming silently down his face from a pair of blank-white eyes. The man just wrapped him closer, pulling him deeper into an embrace that seemed to calm the raging inside Lyle’s head but for a few seconds, adding his own tears to Lyle’s. Comforted by this forgotten gesture of kindness, Lyle wanted to say thank you, to say that he’d needed something, to say that this meant a lot.  
But all that came out of his ragged throat was, “K-kakariko...”   
The man’s eyes widened, “Wait.” he turned to the girl behind him, “Get me a map.”  
The girl rushed out of the room, throwing Lyle a look that was equal parts worry and compassion. She rushed back in quickly, her pace speaking urgency and purpose. She grabbed a slip of paper, tearing off a ribbon that was holding it into a roll-like shape. She unrolled the paper, nodding to her father.  
The man lifted Lyle up and placed him into the girl’s arms, where the boy settled peacefully, and placed his hands on either side of the map. His fingers traced paths and mountains, waterways and canyons and deserts. Lyle was about to fall asleep of complete exhaustion before the man’s finger slammed down on the map suddenly.

“I thought he was speaking gibberish...” the man sighed, “But it isn’t- I mean at least not all of it. Kakariko is a place.”  
“Great!” the girl called happily and with relief, looking at Lyle with fondness, “We can go there and maybe someone will know something?”   
“It’s in the Forbidden Lands.” the man stated, throwing his head in his hands.  
The girl went silent. So did the man. Lyle tensed as the man looked at him, a strange mix of hopelessness, desperation and ragged love in his eyes. The man swallowed hard.   
“What else can we do?” he took a deep breath in and out, “If... if it’s for my boy I will do anything. Anything. We should pack and leave quickly.” 

They would be gone before Drekko’s men even arrived.

Lyle didn’t remember the journey since he pretty much fell asleep the instant they began riding, but every mile that carried him away from the home that had begun to feel like a prison was a good one. He felt freer, eased. Something in him responded with utter joy. He was free. He was in nature. He was.... still a mess. His newfound joy wilted. His gain in awareness had not only given him this feeling, it had given him the sinking knowledge that he was somehow hurting these people around him. He could see it in their eyes. But he had no strength left, so he went with them. Despite his newfound regret. He went with them and he slept. And his dreams were filled with blood.   
When Lyle opened his eyes, they were surrounded. A group of warriors with familiar eyes painted on their breasts, spears at the ready, demanding for the man and girl to surrender. Though he didn’t wish to spend more time with them than he needed, and wanted to avoid hurting these people more with his presence, he doubted letting them die would be a good solution.  
He slipped out of the man’s arms and stepped onto the ground with his bare feet enjoying the feeling of dew-filled grass. He pulled off the riding hood the man had given him. Gasps echoed. The man looked at Lyle with panic. The girl looked sad.   
The Sheika bowed.

They were escorted back to the small encampment of Sheika warriors that had been patrolling the border of their lands promptly. The man and girl looked confused, but followed and didn’t protest when their mounts were taken and spirited off into the forest.   
“To get them off of your tail.” one of the Sheika had stated.   
They were led into a tent, where a dark-haired girl was sitting around a firepit. She looked alarmed at the arrival of intruders before making eye contact with Lyle. “So...” she gasped reverently, “The books are true.”

...

The people had been quick to make the newcomers comfortable. Lord Loch was incredibly confused. He’d gone from thinking his son was nearly psychotic to seeing people treat him like he was some sort of angel descended from heaven. The people had brewed a special pot of tea that they’d set aside for Lyle personally, saying that ‘the books’ suggested that it may help him.   
“What... what is wrong with my son?” he finally snapped, “Who are you people? And what are these books you keep talking about?!?!?”  
The Sheika girl laid a hand on his shoulder, “I wish I could give you more answers. I can tell you that there’s nothing wrong with him. He’s very special, he’s just struggling with the transition between being who he was before and being special now. He’ll need your love more than ever.” The mood shifted suddenly, “As for the books, well... those are a different story. Do you truly wish to hear it?”   
Chayne nodded fiercely, “Of course. Especially if it has to do with my brother!”   
The Sheika girl sighed, “Ten years ago our people lost something precious. Your…” she spit the next word out with incredible disgust “...your Drekko had begun to rise to power, and he gobbled up everything in his wake. Amassing energy, he sought to erase any trace of any god, any memory of a god that had come before. So he attempted one of the most incredible feats of magic ever performed. He erased the goddesses and gods and spirits from mortal memory. Now, many don’t know this because no one remembers. But we Sheika felt the universe tearing. In the moments before this... great forgetfulness... hit, we scribbled down everything we could about our people, about our traditions. About our gods. Those scribbles are all we have now, compiled into books. They speak of a boy like your son, who has markings of blue and red on his face in that exact pattern. And that we should protect such a boy with our lives.”  
“Wow.” Chayne gasped, “That sounds... fantastical... and yet.” she turned to Loch, “Didn’t mother always have that necklace we couldn’t figure out? The one of three triangles? You can erase memory... but you can’t erase objects. I always wondered why I hadn’t seen that symbol anywhere else.”   
Loch nodded slowly, “Did these... books say anything else?”  
The Sheika girl nodded, “Yes, they said when the boy arrives we should call-“ 

She was interrupting by Lyle bolting up with a start. His white eyes were wide, but his hair still was sandy at the roots. He had an empty cup of tea in his hands, and looked confused. Scared. Like a child. His eyes refocused and he looked over the fire pit. “Father?” he ventured, “Father, where are we?”   
Loch just went over and hugged his son like he’d never hugged the boy before, and the Sheika girl slipped out to let the family have a probably-rare moment of peace and happiness.  
A Sheika boy looked at her as she left, “You know what the books say. We need to call... them…”  
“We need to call the Conduits.”

The leader of the guards nodded as she kept her eyes onto the tent. "Yes, but first we need to get him back to Kakariko. The soothing tea can only do so much and it will not be long before he falls prey to confusion once again. The books speak of a transition that could last days."  
And while every scouting group carried the tea in the event of crossing paths with the boy, it was only a small amount. Not enough to last for the whole duration of this transition.  
"I feel sorry for them," the leader whispered, watching the three shadows huddling together. "Soon their boy will not be the same..." A sigh escaped her and her shoulders slumped as if there was a great weight on them. "Spread the word that we're going back in the morning. The sooner we're back in Kakariko, the sooner we can send a message to the Conduits."  
So that's what they did, waiting out the night until the sky started lightening. When the first rays of sunlight touched the land around them, the scouting group had already packed their belongings and were ready to go.  
"We Sheikah don't get many visitors," the leader explained to the boy's family. "Your boy will be welcomed back like an old friend. You, on the other hand... there will be distrust at first. If you wish to stay at his side, you will have to accept that."  
After Drekko had conquered the land, the hidden tribe had become more suspicious of outsiders. More than once they had found people walking around the borders in search of their village, claiming to be who they were awaiting in hopes to find its location.  
So they set out, following a path that existed only in the Sheikah’s mind and cancelling any mark their passage left. It was a long trek through the woods and up the hills, purposely confusing to outsiders so that they would be unable to retrace their steps.  
And half a day of walk later, the group was standing at the entrance of a quiet village hidden deep in the mountains.  
"Welcome to Kakariko," the girl spoke, nodding her head to let the rest of her group know that they were free to go. "Follow me. Our elder will want to meet you."

But Lyle wasn't listening. He was too busy looking around and welcoming the familiarity the village was bringing him. "Home..." he muttered, disentangling himself from his sister and walking down a different path. "I'm home..."


	26. A Shaky New Beginning

After the long trek to get here, Lyle was losing touch with reality again, but he didn't look as confused and lost as before. Instead, he looked determined to go his own way regardless of whatever everyone else wanted.  
"Father," Chayne said once their escort had told them their boy was to be let free to wander as he pleased. "You go. I will keep an eye on Lyle."  
So Chayne followed as the boy wandered around the village, ducking and weaving and stepping sideways as if he’d walked these paths his entire life. The people looked in shock at the boy, some smiling and others eyes beginning to water up. It seemed that Lyle- whatever he was- meant a lot to these people. And their eyes flashed to her, first with alarm, and then with resignation. It seemed that Lyle bought her a ticket into this place, but not trust. She’d have to earn that, apparently. 

The boy moved with deft feet and a purposeful gait down a winding pathway, and she tried her best to keep up while being swatted by the branches and grass that tangled its way across the overgrown field. Somehow, Lyle was having no trouble. She was beginning to lose sight of him, and a flash of panic erupted in her chest. She’d promised Father she’d look after him... and if he ran off now? With panic, she attempted to move faster, but struggled with a tangle of vines and branches. Gasping through them, she made a violent push forwards. 

And fell flat on her face. The vines and grass had opened up into a small clearing, one with a bubbling stream and dancing lights fluttering this way and that. A small statue was set in the middle of a pond with lily-flowers speckled all over it.   
“Isn’t it pretty?” Lyle asked softly, his voice filled with more enthusiasm than it had been for awhile, “I used to come here to think. Or at least I think I did. Everything is so confusing.”  
“B-but...” she asked, “We’ve never been here before.”

Lyle closed his white eyes and then opened them again softly, “Not like this. But before this like this.”  
She sat down beside him- confused- but grateful for this moment of peace, “Well, it’s very beautiful. I can see why you like it.”  
He smiled, leaning into her a little like he’d used to do when he was small, “Yes. Yes it is.”

Unfortunately, that was the last time Lyle was so affectionate towards his family. As the week went on, the boy became increasingly detached. He would still smile and be kind, but there was always some degree of coldness to it that made his father and sister wonder if they weren't losing him to whatever was happening. The worst thing was that no one wanted to tell them what it was.  
Frustrated, angry (and a bit hateful) the two would often find themselves at the elder's house to demand answers, only to be denied them and threatened to be kicked out of the village.  
Lyle himself was less helpful than before. While he stopped falling into chatatonic spells, he was often found either muttering to himself in his house or entirely missing from the village. No one knew where exactly he went, but there was the strong suspicion that he was just running around and exploring.  
His father and sister were at their wit's end, though they refused to give up.  
"I should send them a signal..." Lyle muttered during one of the rare evening he was sharing dinner with the village's elder. "I think it's time..."

The conversation ended up taking place beneath the tree in the middle of the village. Lyle sat down slowly, looking distant, and waited. He knew they would join him eventually. Especially considering this was one of the rare times he was around and stationary these days. His mind felt like less of a jumbled mess than before, but he was still very confused. The world felt spun on its axis. He didn’t know who he was. Or what. And despite being back at the place he was certain was his home, he could shake the feeling of deep-seared sadness that crawled in his bones and thrummed in his heart, like a great burden he’d forgotten he bore.  
True to what he’d thought, his sister and father soon located him, and sat down, mumbling ‘may I sit’ at him as they did so. He nodded, still staring silently into the abyss. After a few minutes of silence, he said.  
“It’s never going to be the same, you know. I’m changing. I’m becoming different. I’m not the boy anymore. Not your son.”  
Loch looked at him desperately, wishing Lyle would just meet his eyes, “You may be different, but you will always be my son.”  
Lyle looked back, seeing a deep-seated sadness in the man’s eyes, “But you don’t even know who I am anymore. How can you possibly say that?”  
Chayne looked at him with her challenging eyes, “Do you?” she asked, “Know who you are, I mean.”

Lyle stopped, “I know what the Sheika told me.”  
“Not the question.” His sister responded.  
Lyle looked down, down at his hands. The ones that suddenly knew how to draw a bow despite the fact his sister had never taught him. He looked at his belt, the one his father always used to buckle with a smile because he could never figure out quite how to fix it right. He looked up at the sky. “No.” he said softly, “And the Sheika don’t know much. They’ve forgotten, despite their best efforts to write what they knew. I have a name, a title. But I... I don’t know what it means.”  
His father put a hand on his shoulder, “This... this is all very unexpected. I didn’t anticipate talking to you like this- like you were an adult- until you were much older. But whatever is happening- whatever has to change- let us be there. So it can’t be the same. So you aren’t the innocent child we all once knew. But I would rather be there, know you, help you figure out your answers than lose you. And if that means that things have to be different... then they will be. But let us help you. Even if you are different, we are family. Nothing can change that.”  
Lyle’s eyes opened wide. He’d expected them to be disappointed. Sad even. But all he could do was grasp his father’s hand- not like a son, but as a close friend- and smile.

...

Meanwhile, the Sheika were busy skimming books and flipping through pages. They’d spent the last few weeks trying to figure out a way to contract these ‘conduits’ the books spoke of. The tribe knew that they needed them, but despite all efforts, they hadn’t managed to locate them yet.   
“Perhaps,” a young researcher said, “Perhaps we need to adjust the arrangement of the figures? That symbol there... and that one there.... maybe the red one at the top?”  
The Sheika leader sighed, but agreed. It wasn’t like they had much other choice. They’d tried everything. Absolutely everything. One last thing couldn’t hurt.   
So they changed the arrangement, adjusted the figures.  
Nobody thought it would actually work. 

At least not until two figures tumbled through the portal, hitting the wall as if shot out violently. The first was a rather large man, and he took the wall he’d slammed into right out. The other was a woman who managed to bounce off of the wall easily, landing on her feet.  
“Ow.” Ganondorf said, “Everything hurts.”  
“I told you it wouldn’t be a bad idea to learn some acrobatics. How to move your body in the air. But nooooo, you were so focused on summoning your pig thing.”  
“I like my pig thing.”   
The Sheika leader looked incredibly confused, “W-who are you?”  
Ganondorf heaved himself up, “Wait, you don’t know who I am?” He asked.  
“Or me?” Zelda inquired.  
The leader shook her head.  
“This is great!” Ganondorf exclaimed, shooting up, “Heck, this is the best day of my life! Nobody knows who I am! I can go to a market! I can go chill in the desert! I can get tea at a tea hut without getting arrested!”  
Zelda smiled as well, whispering under her breath, “No more ‘Her Grace Hylia’. Thank Faore for that.”  
"As much as I'm happy that you are happy, we cannot leave things the way they are," Impa stated, appearing the same way the two did. She looked a little frazzled, but otherwise ready to lead her tribe once again.  
At that, the two conduits pouted, muttering about spoilsports and the like. They knew that Drekko had to be taken down and the land restored to what it had been before his rise to power, but they had hoped to enjoy their anonymity a little longer.  
"I guess..." Zelda muttered, looking first at her, then at her companion standing tall next to her. "Anyone knows where Madas is?"

She looked around at the assembled people, wondering if they were Sheikah priests or something equivalent. They did certainly look like the part, though she was no expert on their culture as Impa had never went into the details of their religion.  
"No one?" She asked again, watching as some of them shook their head while the rest looked positively puzzled. "You know... dude with white hair and eyes? Colored tattoos on his face? Probably around ten years old and very confused about who he is?"  
At that description, the blank faces staring at her gained understanding. "You speak of Lyle!" one of them replied, a smile appearing on his face. "His real name eludes us, we believe it's part of the... 'curse' Drekko cast on Hyrule. If you are looking for him, he is already at the village, although where precisely, I cannot tell you. He seems to... wander a lot."  
Zelda nodded, “That sounds like him.” her face got incredibly worried, “I fear he may be struggling with no one to guide him.”  
Impa looked sad, “Yes. Normally we are here to help ease the transition, but now?” the imposing Sheika looked to her kin, “Do you know how far along the boy is?”

“I- um- I do not know to what you refer. The boy catches glimpses of memory, and the family describes him as quite changed, but that is all we know of to be occurring at this time.”  
“The... family?” Ganondorf ventured slowly.   
“Oh yes.” the Sheika replied, “A father and sister, who came with Lyle here seeking aid.”  
Zelda nodded, whispering in Impa’s ear, “Perhaps they would know more than the others.”   
Impa saw the wisdom in the princess’ words, “May we speak with them?”   
“Oh... I mean yes, sure... but they are outsiders...”   
Impa shrugged, “I knew a time when we welcomed people with open arms. Perhaps we may return to that time, but we need the boy for that. To guide him. And keep him safe.”  
“Yes.” Ganondorf commented, “I suspect Drekko is already hunting him. And he will not succeed if I have anything to say about that.”  
The Sheika nodded, “Of course. I’ll take you to them.”


	27. Answers (For The Free Price Of Free!)

The search was not an easy one.

For being someone that the Sheikah tribe had vowed to take care of and keep an eye on, said boy was as slippery as an eel covered in mud. He rarely was in the village- often leaving behind his bodyguards and his family- frustrating them to no end.  
Today (for example) the child had been seen walking towards one of the tall mountains surrounding the village, but more than that, no one knew.  
So the group found themselves hiking up an incline, hoping that they had chosen the right one because no one wanted to spend the week searching the entire mountain range for a confused boy with too many skills and too much energy at his disposal.

"I feel... observed..." Ganondorf muttered once they decided to take a small break. He was looking around with a frown, trying to find whatever was stalking them. "It's unnerving..."

Zelda looked at him, then turned her eyes at the surrounding sparse vegetation. "I don't feel anything..." she then looked at Impa. "What about you?"  
The frown on Impa was easily matching the Gerudo's, but her eyes were as sharp as ever as she scanned the shadows cast by the midday sun. "I know you are here!" she suddenly called. "We do not mean any harm. We just wish to speak!"  
The silence that followed was almost oppressive, but it was quickly broken when some of the bushes rustled. From them emerged a child with features that the group hadn't seen in about ten years. He looked lost, confused, scared.  
Yet- despite all that- the moment the white eyes landed on Ganondorf, the child's face morphed into that of anger, twisting his kind features into the scary mask of a wild beast.

"Lyle..?"

Zelda had no time to approach the child and calm him down, for a moment later he unsheathed a small sword and launched himself towards Ganondorf, screaming in a language no one knew and forcing the large man to step back to avoid being decapitated.  
Lyle lunged again and Ganondorf dodged backwards. Even though he and Zelda had been training in the Divine Realm for ten years and the Deity was a child, he could still move quite quickly and Ganondorf didn’t want to be on the receiving end if he suddenly figured out how to do those energy slices that he’d demonstrated at Death Mountain.  
Zelda stepped between him and Lyle. The child stopped, blinking in confusion at the princess. This isn’t right, his mind told him, it doesn’t happen this way…

Zelda extended her hand to the small child. She knew it was hard to be constantly resurrected, doomed to repeat the same fate, especially now that Drekko was practically a god. His forgetfulness spell had robbed any chance of Lyle receiving the help he needed earlier, and the child was probably very confused. Scared. Even his name, Link, had been changed slightly by the Captain’s power.  
“Relax, please. It’s just us. You know us.” Zelda said softly, “Come on, we’ll explain everything. To you, and your family. It’s okay.“  
Lyle started to extend his hand, but shirked back when Ganondorf took a position near Zelda’s side. Zelda turned and smiled, grabbing Ganondorf’s hand and offering her palm again towards Lyle, who looked increasingly more confused. The child’s eyes darted to the broadsword at Ganondorf’s hip, the gem embedded in the hilt reflecting into his eyes.  
“Purple...” Lyle murmured, “It’s not supposed to be purple...”

Lyle looked past Zelda and Ganondorf, seeing Impa and the Sheika behind them. If they’re okay with this, then it must be okay, he thought. It must be safe. And these people might have the only answers to the burning sensation that had been crawling beneath his skin like an insect begging to be released. It was why he’d been staying far away lately. It scared him. Everything was so confusing. He didn’t know who he was before. Time was beginning to lose meaning, every life blurring until he wasn’t sure when was where and who was what. He wanted it to stop.

He reached out and grabbed Zelda’s palm, letting her pull him into a hug.  
“It’s so good to have you back.” She whispered, “I missed you.”  
Lyle looked up at her, “Help me. I’m scared.”

And that was the truth. With all the dreams, nightmares, memories that he knew they shouldn't be his, Lyle was both lost and scared. It had come to a point that he wasn't even sure he was Lyle, but someone with a similar name. One that he knew but could not say out loud for some strange reason.  
And then there was that other name. The one that felt far older than the similar one. One that seemed as ancient as the world itself.  
It was confusing on the best of days, maddening during the worst ones.

"Perhaps we should go back. This is no place for talking."  
Impa's voice filled the silence, breaking Lyle out of his daze. He welcomed it, preferring taking care of business rather than be overwhelmed by things he couldn't understand.  
"Yes..." he muttered, stepping back. He winced visibly when he caught sight of the large man, still unsure if he was friend of foe. "Yes, we should. We... we can.. uh... use my house."  
Right, because the large house at the edge of the village WAS his, even if he was pretty sure he had never owned it before. It was another thing he decided was not worth addressing right now.  
Lyle began to step gingerly down the path, darting in front of the group and running down the hill. He preferred the feeling of the wind in his hair to the confusion of his life right now. He was holding onto the hope that the Princess would be able to explain everything. 

The journey was not a long one. He lost the other members of the group quickly, but he knew at least Impa knew the place to which he was referring. He was distracted by his thoughts so much- however- that he didn’t notice the woman standing on the path.  
“Oof.” he said as he ran into his sister.  
“Lyle!” Chayne commented, “I’ve been looking all over for you! Where were you off to this time?”  
He rubbed his head, “Places. I have to get to the house.”  
Chayne shrugged, “Let me come with you, then.”  
Before he could usher a response from his open mouth, before he had any inclination to tell her how dangerous that was, how much of a horrible idea that was, Impa caught up to him from behind the path.  
“You should stay with the group.” the Sheika teacher scolded, “You’re young, and not in control. They can help you.”  
Lyle’s sister looked intrigued, “Hm? Who’s here? I hadn’t heard of any visitors...”  
“Visitors from the Divine Realm.” Impa extended a hand, “I am Impa, and who are you?”  
“Chayne.” she offered, “Lyle is my brother. What is going on?”  
Impa raised her brows, “I think that’s for the little one to explain.”  
Lyle shuddered. He’d been afraid she would say that, “... there’s people here. I don’t know exactly who they are but I vaguely recognize them and they say they know more about... this...”  
”That’s amazing!” Chayne looked excited, “We should go get Father!”  
“No!” Lyle responded quickly,”I... I want to hear what they have to say first. I’m not sure it will be good news...”  
“Oh.” she pondered this, “But still, shouldn’t father know?”  
“We... can give him the summarized version later?” Lyle offered.  
“Yes.” Impa declared as Zelda and Ganondorf too caught up, “This is a matter of some delicacy. We should also deal with it and make sure he knows as soon as possible, before...”  
“Before what?” Chayne asked, suddenly concerned.  
“Before the memories.” Zelda stated, “Before the flood of memories.’

The walk back to his house was all a blur to Lyle due to his mind falling into thoughts and memories that shouldn't be his, but still were. He was so disconnected with reality that he forgot he was being followed by a large group of people, and that at one point Impa had sent Chayne away.

Something about this being really private and not for common ears. He did miss Chayne’s complaints, but he vaguely remembered telling her he would explain things as soon as they were explained to him.

"So..." he muttered, eyes moving from person to person. Right now they were sitting in the largest room of his house, mindful of all the clutter and pile of things crammed everywhere. "What is going on? Why do I feel like... this?"  
It was hard to explain how he felt, so he really hoped that 'this' would do the trick.  
Zelda looked at Impa, then at Ganondorf. “You’re going to want to sit down for this one.”  
Lyle took a seat on what he thought was his bed, in a room surrounded by boxes of magical items. “Who am I?” he asked, unanswered questions pouring out of him like a raging river, “Why do I know all these things I’m not supposed to know? Why can I lift more wood than my dad, even though he’s bigger? Why does everything hurt? Why is it so confusing? How can you help me? Why-“  
“Woah.” Ganondorf said, making a move towards Lyle, “Slow down. Zelda will explain everything.“ Lyle shied away from his comforting hands, still oddly distrustful of the man and scowled. Ganondorf’s expression was slightly hurt.  
Zelda put a hand on Ganondorf’s shoulder, looking into his eyes with a very deep and meaningful glance. She squeezed his still-reaching, still-empty hands. “You go. Let me explain everything first.” 

Lyle felt better once the man had left. He looked at Zelda hopefully. He knew… somehow… that he could trust her. He needed to. She had the answers, or so she said.  
“Well, Madas.” she addressed him with an unfamiliar name, “Where do you want me to start?”  
He opened and closed his mouth a few times, unsure of what to say. Finally the question he really needed answering popped out, “What’s happening to me?” he asked.

…

“So, let me get this straight?” Chayne clarified, “My brother is the resurrected version of some deity that no one has ever heard of?”  
“That’s right.” Zelda replied calmly.  
“And we haven’t heard of him because Drekko has control somehow over a spirit which can wipe memory through music?”  
“That’s right.”  
“And you were- what- friends of the last reincarnation?”  
“Yes. And we plan on doing everything we can to protect your brother.”  
Chayne took a few breaths. “So all the hostility... all the confusion... that’s him trying to sort through these old memories? Of past reincarnations?”  
“Basically, yes.”  
Chayne massaged her temples, “Forgive me if that’s a lot to take in. And who are you precisely, then?”  
Zelda bowed, “I am the conduit of another deity you’ve probably never heard of.”  
Ganondorf shrugged, “Same.“  
“So do you just have a, what, semi-deity club or something?” Chayne asked incredulously, “Buy-one-get-half-a-deity special? What?”  
Ganondorf barked a laugh, “Something like that.”

...

Lyle exited Impa’s house thoughtfully, pushing open the flap and walking up to them, having slipped out of the meeting with the Sheika leader. She’d gone over strategies and such that would help him make the transition, and told him a little about his past life. Not enough, though. She’d missed most of it. But she, too, didn’t trust the large man.  
“Hello.” he started, introducing his presence.  
“Hey brother!” Chayne laughed, ruffling his hair, “So, how’d it go? Do you feel better?”  
“Yes.” he admitted, “At least I know what’s happening now.”  
“We’ll be here to help you through it.” Zelda swore. 

Suddenly the sound of drums started echoing on the horizon. 

“W-what is that?” Ganondorf asked, concerned.  
A Sheika scout burst into the camp, “Drekko’s army is here! We’re under attack!”


	28. Return of the Fierce Deity

One thing Lyle could clearly remember was that things always happened when he least wanted them to happen. It was a fact of his life, kind of like a curse...

Solve a problem only to have another one shoved into his hands. Lyle, or Madas, or whoever he was, was starting to get really, really tired.  
And grumpy.  
"I am so... done with this..." he hissed under his breath.  
The Gerudo that was suddenly next to him snorted and crossed his arms. "You and everyone else here, I'm afraid," he said. Lyle took several steps away from him because he still couldn't trust him, "At least those soldiers seems to be the incompetent rather than the smart ones that were sent to the borders."  
The young boy pinched his nose and for a moment Ganondorf and Zelda could see a glimpse of the Madas they had gotten to know years ago. "You know what? I'm not even going to question that. I'm just... I'm just going to grab the first weapon I find and... I don't know... carve a path or something. Whatever comes... I'm still trying to figure this out..."  
“NO!” said Zelda, Ganondorf, and Impa at the same time. There was a sort of strange, fierce desperation in all of their eyes.

He stopped, and looked back at them oddly. That felt like the right thing to do. The right thing to say. Every bone in his body told him that he had to face this alone. And the fact that... the people he should have known were contesting this? It made him so much more confused... was he reading himself all wrong?  
“Respectfully, Lord Madas.” Impa began, addressing him by a foreign name, “That’s what happened last time. You don’t need to charge in alone, you have competent and trained allies. Let us help you.”  
So he did used to do that. He relaxed a little, but the confusion still lingered. He wasn’t sure whether to call these people ‘allies’ yet, even though he received a trusting vibe from Zelda. Ganondorf made his skin crawl. Impa he felt a deep-rooted loyalty to. He swallowed, deciding to stick to that feeling.  
“What... else... am I supposed to do?” he asked, uncertain.  
Zelda put a hand on his shoulder, “You’re still confused, and there’s no telling when memories or powers might surface rather violently. Perhaps you should stay back, the people here will fight for you.”  
Lyle swallowed, “But what if I don’t want them to? What if I don’t want people to get hurt for my sake?”  
Zelda and Ganondorf exchanged a pained glance, “You don’t get to choose who cares about you and who doesn’t.” Ganondorf said, which struck Lyle as odd coming from the large man, “They just do. And with that comes people choosing to fight with you. It’s not really your decision. Each person here knows what they’re doing. They trust you.”  
Lyle swallowed hard. How could others trust him when he didn’t even trust himself yet? When he was still so confused? All these expectations, memories, other lives, it seemed like it was so much... how was he supposed to compete? For a moment, he felt like a child again, lost and alone.  
“It’s okay, brother.” Change said, wrapping her arms around him, “We’ll get through this.”  
He wasn’t so sure.

Strangely, the hug was not comfortable this time. It made him feel suffocated and trapped, almost as if he was tied underwater. It was such an unnerving feeling that he carefully disentangled himself from his sister's arms and went to sit on the steps that led up to his house.  
"I... I can't stay back..." he let out with a sigh of resignation. "I just can't... It goes against... uh..."  
At a loss of words, he waved a hand towards himself. Letting other people fight in his place felt wrong and hurt what he was pretty sure was his soul.  
"I have to go. I'll... I'll try to be careful, but I can't ignore this."  
Impa cringed, but her expression was one that matched his resignation. "Because protecting people is in your nature," she replied with a small smile. "And if you cannot stay back, then allow us to fight at your side. No matter how many odds are stacked against us. You're not alone. Not this time."

Lyle sighed. He could tell that they weren’t going to let him go by himself. He supposed that fighting with someone was better than not fighting at all, “Fine.” he declared, “Just don’t get in my way.”  
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Ganondorf commented.  
“Just...” Zelda seemed suddenly nervous, “Just be careful. And stick close, okay?”  
Chayne grabbed a large axe, looking mildly worried as well, “Are you sure it’s safe?” she asked softly, “He’s just a child...”  
“Perhaps he appears that way.” Impa cut in, “But he has more battle experience than all of us put together. He’ll be just fine, I’m sure. You need not worry.”  
Chayne was torn. She still saw the face of her younger brother, and yet.... the Sheika woman was right. There was something far older in his eyes now. Something deep and sad. And she had to try and protect him if she could. If that meant following him into battle? So be it.  
“Okay.” she said, “Let’s go.”

Lyle nodded and started running towards the battle. He could feel it, in a strange sort of way that made no earthly sense. It was as if it called to him.  
“Wait!” Impa called, “Are you seriously going to run into battle without proper armaments?”  
Lyle looked down at his hands. In the commotion, he hadn’t remembered to grab a sword. He looked down, suddenly ashamed. He should have remembered this.  
“Here.” Impa said, bending down and putting a hand on his shoulder, “This was yours, once, in another lifetime.” she handed him a sword, and- upon seeing his stricken expression- she continued , “And you don’t have to remember everything at once. That’s why we’re here. To guide you.”  
He grabbed the small sword, holding it delicately. It reminded him of forests and had a faint feeling of home and happiness to it. He looked up, “Thank you.” he murmured softly.

...

Meanwhile, Zelda and Ganondorf had gone on ahead and had reached the front of the fray. The Sheika were fighting hard, but Zelda gaped at the odds in front of them.  
“How... how is it possible?” she asked, turning to Ganondorf, “That they brought so much of an army here without the Sheika noticing?”  
“I have two answers.” Ganondorf replied slowly, wrapping Zelda in a hug, “And neither is good.”  
“Drekko.” Zelda murmured softly, “I know we’ve been training but seeing him.... fighting him... after...”  
Ganondorf sighed, “I know. But we might not have to. There is option two.”  
“And that is?”  
“Someone helped them get in.”

"It doesn't matter," Lyle appeared behind them, Impa and Chayne right behind him. "No matter what, no matter how many, and no matter what kind of trickery they will pull. I'll... no. We'll push them back."

Zelda felt herself smile. That was something her old friend would say. Carefree, but determined when he needed to be. Kind with those he loved, brutal with his enemies. Patient, yet ready to explode into action at any given notice. His mere presence gave her the courage needed to face her fears and anything that stood between her and her goal.  
"That's right!" She said, her smile turning into a grin. "We'll push them back! Show them we're not the same people of years ago!"

Ganondorf respectfully kept his distance from the boy. It was clear that he wasn't remembering the camaraderie and friendship they had shared ten years ago. "You might not remember this," he said, presenting his sword to Lyle as an offering. "But I owe you a big one. My sword is at your service."  
Demise wouldn't be happy with this, but he found out that when the boy slowly approached he just didn't care about the dark deity's opinion.  
"I..." the boy paused when he placed a hand onto the flat of the huge blade. Something must have happened because he stiffened and looked up at the Gerudo with eyes that were older than Hyrule itself. "Prove it. Prove to me that you mean those words."

Then the kid blinked and he stepped back, unsure. "I... am not sure why I did that..." he muttered. He stared at the man for a moment longer before grunting and dashing past the impromptu barricade the Sheikah had thrown up to defend the village from the enemy's attack.

...

To say the battle was chaos would be an understatement. The barricade was shaky at best, and the Sheika guards were scattered along the line like leaves in a breeze. Hylian soldiers were massing over the hilltop. Already, the injured and dying were strewn about.  
“Holy Hylia.” Zelda murmured, “Did they bring the whole army?”  
Lyle clenched his jaw in response, hands tightening around the small sword he now held. These people had taken him in, helped him. They didn’t deserve this. He vaulted himself at the nearest soldier, muscles moving instinctively as he dodged the soldier’s attack and sliced an attack of his own.  
The people surrounding him, the battle, slowly faded out of his awareness. There was only the blade he held and the enemy he had to hold back. His focus narrowed, and suddenly he felt stronger, faster, smarter, more experienced than he ever had in his life. He didn’t question it. It felt natural, like breathing.  
Occasionally, he would catch a glimpse of Impa, or Zelda, or his sister on the side. Ganondorf was behind, but he wasn’t really focused on that. It was only in front of him. The raging battle.

He looked up, focus widening for a moment on the crest of the hill. That was when he saw him. His father. He was sitting near a campfire, wrapped in a blanket deep in the Hylian ranks. He didn’t look like a prisoner. But he had to be. He had to be. Lyle paused, trying to sort out all this confusion in his head. His father loved him. His father protected him.  
But then what was this? 

“Lyle,” Chayne gasped, meeting him atop the hill, “I am glad you didn’t whip out those fighting skills during our training. You mildly scare me, little brother.”  
He didn’t respond.  
“Is something wrong?” Chayne asked.  
He pointed mutely.  
“No.” she gasped, “No, it can’t be. There must be something... something else to that story... perhaps they’re trying to use him as leverage? For you?”  
Lyle clenched his fists as Zelda, Impa, Ganondorf, and Chayne surrounded him. “There’s only one way to find out.” he growled, torn between worry and anger, “We take the camp.”  
Impa was the first to act, placing a hand onto Lyle's shoulder to halt him. "This must be a trick," she said. "Last I saw your father Loch, he was in the village."  
"A trick..." the boy mumbled, sword tapping the ground a few times. "But what if it was not? Can I really... risk it?"  
Confusion suddenly clouded his judgment. A far cry to what he felt during a battle, where he could easily plow through hordes of enemies without much of a care. Now, however, the indecision churning within his mind was almost debilitating.  
"What should I do?" He asked, turning his attention to Impa and the others.

"Leave this to us, kiddo," Ganondorf's voice filled the strange silence that had befallen the group. "If you really are Drekko's target, then you can easily draw his attention and give us the opening to either rescue your father or uncover whatever trickery there is."  
Lyle frowned, still unsure about trusting the giant man with anything. But the more he thought about it, the more the plan made sense. "Fine," he grunted out. "Impa and I will take on the main forces and aid the others. You get on with your plan."

As he made that decision, a small memory of a campfire and boisterous laughs momentarily distracted him. "We'll see each other after things get sorted." And then he and Impa were off, leaving Ganondorf, Zelda, and Chayne to their plan.  
The three of them sighed, looking around at each other.

“And how do you propose that we get past all those guards?” Chayne asked, doubt in her voice, “I want to know what’s going on but fighting our way... alone... past all those people?”  
Zelda smiled, “That’s where we come in.” she pulled her staff from off of her back- the one that Madas had given her. It seemed like such a long time ago and yet so recent all at the same time. Fingering the wood, she pressed it into her palm, channeling her magic through the hard material like she’d practiced in the Divine Realm. The air around them began to shimmer, moving like the air in the desert, and soon they were invisible.  
“Woah.” Chayne gasped, “Where did you learn to do that?”  
Zelda smiled, “My powers are related to light. Therefore, I can bend it around us if I wish. We should be able to sneak into the camp undetected now. However this will not mask our sound, so we must be careful.”  
Ganondorf smiled at her, brushing a hand down her cheek, “Amazing as always. Now let’s go see what’s what.”  
The group nodded at each other, beginning the slow task of traversing the battlefield. All too often, one member had to duck and weave around blades, soldiers, or to avoid clattering into anything that might indicate their presence.  
But- eventually- they managed to make headway into the camp, which was quieter due to the majority of the Hylian soldiers being out on the battlefield at the moment.  
“Where did you see your father?” Ganondorf whispered to Chayne, “The sooner we get out of here, the better.”  
Chayne nodded mutely, pointing to the small plume of smoke that indicated the campfire she’d seen him crouched at. As the group moved closer towards the campfire, they began to hear voices.

“Stop.” Loch was begging, “Please stop. I’m a law-abiding citizen. What did I- no- what did my ten year old son ever do to you?!?”  
“He tried to thwart me,” Drekko spat, “And succeeded, at least partially, in the last lifetime of his. Access to the Divine Realm would have made this all so much easier. I can’t have him doing that again. No. If I let him run around he’ll just find more little ways to screw me over. I have to make sure he meets me on my territory. I think the poor boy will come to the castle if I have his precious, good, wonderful father, don’t you?”  
“N-no.” Lyle’s dad yelled, “Don’t hurt him!”  
Drekko laughed, “Fool. I’ve charmed you with my musical abilities, so you can’t fight me- much less protect him- not that he needs it. Lucky I caught him young, else I’d be more worried about this. And you’re going to be the one hurting him. Perhaps I’ll make him think he’s been betrayed? Or maybe I’ll make you saw an arm off, just to make a point. This is serious you know. I want this over. And it will be. All you have to do is wait.”

Drekko's words resounded through the camp like an alarm bell and Zelda had to forcefully stop Chayne from rushing towards her father. "You really don't want to fight Drekko right now," she whispered. "Last time our friend confronted him alone, he was killed.”  
Oh, she hated having to let the man go after all the awful things he did to her, her friends, and everyone else in the kingdom. She hated how manipulative he was, to the point of using an innocent man as bait to get the only deity able to fight him on even ground where he wanted. She... despite the supposedly holy aura surrounding her and the need to be 'better' than anyone else, she simply despised the guy with all her heart.  
"I agree with Zelda," Ganondorf placed a hand onto Chayne's shoulder, stilling her completely where Zelda was only able to hold her to the spot. "Drekko is not a man you can fight alone."  
"But we can't... we can't let this happen!" Chyane protested, voice getting dangerously louder with each word. "I... this is not fair!"  
“It never is.” Zelda murmured sadly.

...

Meanwhile Impa and Lyle were knee-deep in enemy soldiers. Impa was vaguely impressed with how much of battle the little boy remembered. He fought as he always had, but Impa couldn’t help but think it had been a while since she’d seen him this young. And it had been even longer since the deity had had a family who hadn’t either fled in terror following the transformation or died beforehand.  
Perhaps things really could be different now. 

Impa also feared for her village. It seemed that the entire Hylian army was on their back and even though they had a god on their side, the odds were overwhelming.  
“Keep moving!” Lyle barked at the Sheika behind him, “They fear you, deep down. I can see it in their eyes.” 

Lyle could see it. He could see everything. He could move faster than he ever could. He could feel something new humming in his veins, becoming more potent the more he moved, spoke, danced like this on the battlefield. It was overwhelming and yet it also felt like a lost part of him being reclaimed. He felt a peace, even amid the clamour of swords and clash of spears that he hadn’t felt for many years. Not since the nightmares started.  
And the soldiers of the front line faltered. Because even though their numbers could handily beat the Sheika, they didn’t know what to make of the child who seemed to command them, whose eyes sparkled with some intense ancient power that they’d forgotten the name of, whose sword seemed to do more damage than it had any right to. You see they didn’t know. None of them knew that there was even anyone who could contest Drekko’s title. Who could fight like a deity-King.  
Lyle’s power was building now, crashing through him like a fresh font all new and harsh and overwhelming. He didn’t even realize how much until the first blast flew out in front of his blade like an arc of deadly air. Like a warning sign. Not just for the soldiers, but for Lyle himself. It was his tenth birthday.

And then the headache set in.

As violent as the battle itself, it came so out of nowhere that Lyle screamed in agony and fell to his knees. The sword he had been using just a moment ago clattered to the ground out of his reach, almost sliding down the gentle incline, while he cradled his head in his hands and tried to fight the pain.  
He was so disoriented that he never noticed Impa hollering commands to fellow Sheikah warriors, nor her sudden presence to his side or her words.

At one point he knew he was being lifted, then the nauseating motion of... being carried? Lyle was not sure. Like he was not sure that Lyle was his supposed real name. It was merely... similar.

Then more hands, but he was so done with everything that he viciously batted them away and spoke in a language that he knew he should know, but that the knowledge of it was too jumbled up with the rest of EVERYTHING else that...

"Lyle..?"

He was being called. He KNEW he was being called. But that was not his name. That was NOT his name.

His name was something else.

Similar, but different.

And there was some sort of force that stopped him from saying his own name, even if he knew it.

"Liiii..." he struggled to stand up when he was set down somewhere, only to stumble around blindly and crash against something. "iiiiiiiii...nk..."

He knew he had another name, one that was much older than this, but for now he was pretty much happy to have made sense of one thing before the pain and confusion overwhelmed him once again and his mind simply shut down.

Everything was swimming, and Lyle could barely concentrate. He felt distant, as if the world was a million miles away. He lost control of his limbs. His body slumped into Impa’s arms in a position that he dimly recognized as uncomfortable, but didn’t change. Couldn’t change. Sensations became a blur and his eyes drifted ever-more shut. He thought he saw Impa mouthing something to him. He was being shaken, (maybe?). But everything was so distant. Even the roar and tremors of his overwhelmed mind seemed but a faded memory. 

Lyle’s head slumped to the side, his eyes growing ever-more shut. A blurred shape passed across his distant vision. “Father?” he murmured softly before the darkness came to take him. 

That was when Drekko entered the battlefield, laughing and waving a hand, shattering with but a thought the barriers of the village. “Where is the boy?” he demanded, “I need to speak with him.” Loch trailed behind him as if on a magical leash, not wanting to move his feet but yet compelled to. Drekko looked triumphant, joyful, exhilarated even at the thought of hurting his boy. Of using him to hurt his boy. He hated it. And yet the magic that held him felt inescapable.  
Loch’s heart broke when he finally did see Lyle, slumped into the Sheika leader’s arms, violently shaking. He should be there, running over to help him. And yet he couldn’t.  
Drekko, on the other hand, was furious, “THAT LITTLE BRAT.” he screamed, “CAN’T EVEN STAY AWAKE FOR MY MONOLOGUE!” He turned, grabbing Loch by the collar. “I GUESS SOMEONE WILL JUST HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT, WON’T THEY?”  
Loch paled, suddenly gripped by terror. And anger. He didn’t want the first thing Lyle saw when he woke up to be his body. But Drekko just dropped him, and turned towards where Impa was cradling the war god in a muscular yet delicate grip.  
“Perhaps I’ll just kill him now.” the former captain said in an icy tone that dripped of malice, vengeance, and a rotten soul.

Loch didn’t even see where the blast of bright purple and white energy came from. But he saw the two conduits and his daughter on the crest of the hill. The man’s fist was gleaming with violent, uncontrolled energy, and a small pig-creature stood at his side. The woman was brandishing a staff that drifted with slivers of white-hot magic, forming a shield over Lyle with her palm.  
“Not on our watch, bastard.” Ganondorf growled, “Did you miss us?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this chapter, we have officially run out of prewritten material.  
> Updates will likely be less frequent going forewords, but writing is still happening :)  
> A heartfelt thank-you for everyone who’s made it this far, hope you’ve enjoyed our chaotic little story!


	29. A Quiet Dream Amidst The Battle

For some unknown reason, Drekko became a mask of eerie calm. "Oh, it's you. Still alive? I thought that you had died in a pit somewhere."  
"Ganondorf," Zelda whispered as the man started to go into a monologue that was not interesting at all. "Think you can keep the guy busy while I get the others away?"  
She cast a quick glance towards Impa, crouched and trying to hold down the reborn wargod while protecting him at the same time. It didn't look like she was succeeding considering the boy was wracked by convulsion.  
"You go do what is best, Zelda," Ganondorf did not move from where he was, nor took away his eyes from Drekko that was, incredibly enough, still talking to himself. "I'll keep him busy, and punch his nose in if I get the chance. Don't worry, I'll be careful."

And with that, Zelda dashed off with Lyle and Impa.  
While she worried for Ganondorf, she pushed that out of her mind for now. She had to focus on protecting Lyle and Impa. And from what she’d seen during their training in the Divine realm, Ganondorf could very much take care of himself now. She had to trust that he would.  
So she fought through. Her staff became like a flowing, moving part of her, energy moving out of it like an extension of self. She batted away a guard that came to close, she flung a blade of light at the soldiers who were overwhelming a Sheika guard. The light pulsed with her and she used it, healing those Sheika who came close enough and burning and scorching her enemies. 

She narrowly missed being hit by a spear shaft and looked up, meeting the eyes of a soldier who’s energy matched hers. This soldier was dressed differently than the others. Their sleeve bore emblems that Zelda dimly recognized as markings of a higher-ranked guard. 

Well, she mused, it seems Drekko has been rewarding his cronies with Hylia and Demise’s stolen energy. 

His eyes were hungry, and Zelda could tell from the look in them that he wanted to get to Lyle. He must have had orders or some such that commanded him to look for the child. But she would not let that happen. Zelda gripped her staff as Impa ran on behind her, and prepared herself for a fight. 

Lyle was thrashing more weakly now.

Or at least that was what she thought she saw while keeping her attention on her enemy.  
That Lyle... no, Link, because that WAS his supposed name if Drakko's magic hadn't messed up her already crazy kingdom. That he was weakening was worrying, yes, but it shouldn't be something she focused on now. Impa was with him, and Impa was a capable woman and chances were she was experienced or knew how to deal with it.

"Women don't belong in the battlefield," her opponent bellowed, drawing her out of her musings. "All they are good for is housework and child bearing."

Zelda stared- mouth agape- and wondered if she could get away with dissing him to hell and back. It was just her luck to encounter someone like him on the battlefield. "Should I call my companion then?" she asked, vaguely motioning towards Ganondorf that was literally launching people into the air in an effort to reach Drekko, his little pig laser-beaming anything that moved that wasn't a Sheikah tribesman with a proud ferocity. "I'm pretty sure he would disagree on what you just said."

Zelda frowned deeply, considering what she’d just said “No.” she continued, “I think that would defeat the point entirely. I’ll just kick your ass myself.”  
The man laughed, pulling out an axe that blazed with red and black energy and swinging it around in a grand (and what was probably supposed to be threatening) manner.

Zelda just scoffed, launching herself at her opponent, thrusting her staff into his exposed knee while it was opened during the performance. She backed off quickly, dodging a burst of energy that was thrown her way and threw energy of her own back at him, watching him move to block it and then running at him and slamming her staff against the back of his knees, causing them to buckle. He threw a fist, and it hit her in the face but she just spit out the blood, smiling. 

Impa looked back, watching her once-protégée efficiently throwing her weight around with this new threat. She’s got this, Impa thought. So she cradled Lyle in her arms and ran back to the village. 

...

Lyle opened his eyes to find himself in a strange land. He touched his head gently, but it was no longer aching. A dream? he wondered, suddenly unsure.  
There was a man there. He looked like him. White hair, white eyes, the strange blue and red markings adorned his face too.  
“Come, little one.” Madas commented, placing a spectral hand on the boy’s shoulder, “It is time to show you who you are.”  
Lyle followed, sure of the man’s intent, though he couldn’t quite place his finger on why he felt so comfortable. It was almost as if he’d been talking to a piece of himself, so familiar and yet to foreign at the same time.  
“So little one,” Madas began softly, “Have you heard the story of the three Golden Goddesses?”  
Lyle stared blankly at the man, “There’s only one god, sir. Emperor Drekko.”  
Madas’ brow furrowed, “Oh. No. That’s not good. That’s not good at all.” he pinched the bridge of his nose, and it struck Lyle how similar that gesture was to his own, “This is going to take longer than I thought, I’m afraid.”  
“What will?” Lyle asked, seized by a child’s curiosity, “Why am I here? Who are you?”  
Madas raised an eyebrow, “My, you are an inquisitive one. I am Madas, and I am also dead. I was you- well, sort of. I bear the same spirit you do, but the spirit is... how shall we say, uniquely shaped by each one who bears it. So I am you in some ways, but you are different in others.”  
“That cleared up...” Lyle frowned, “Absolutely nothing.”  
Madas laughed, “No, I suppose it didn’t. I am here to, how shall we say, remind you of your past lives. Who you were, who we are. To guide you into your new self.”  
“Aren’t you a little late for that?” Lyle asked, thinking back to the years of nightmares.  
“I-“ Madas faltered, “The Sheika were supposed to prepare you. But things have happened that I could not have foreseen.” Madas looked to the distance, pushing gently on the boy’s shoulder, as they began walking through the dream and forwards into the distance, “Let me tell you a story, young one.“ Madas began.

It was both amazing and disconcerting how the scenery changed. From the strange land that he couldn't remember how it looked, to the neverending grass meadow with the lone tree on top of the only hill he could see.

"This place... is familiar..." he muttered. "Like... home?"

"This is a memory of a place dear to me," Madas replied, stopping right under the giant tree. "But that is of no importance right now. What I am going to tell you will sound strange and impossible, but once you do remember, once we return to become one, you will understand."  
Lyle frowned and took a step back. "Hold on. Wait. What do you mean with that? What are you planning?"  
Madas cringed, then gave a tiny smile. "I don't exactly know how this curse works or how you can survive the necessary ten years for me to reawaken when your soul is torn, but as of now we are two halves of the same existence. Incomplete. Different, but the same. Have you ever felt like you were missing something important?"  
"Uh..." the boy frowned a bit at that. "Yeah... I guess? I mean... I always had this need to... go out and look for something, but never knew what. And then it really got worse recently. That was you?"  
Madas crouched down, and even then he was still taller than the boy. "No. Not directly at least. It is something the reborn spirit of the hero always had. To be drawn towards what's left of me." He slowly waved a hand at himself and closed his eyes. "I am what you always were looking for."

Lyle's frown deepened. He only understood some of it, and a very small part of him cursed Drekko for having interfered with the Sheikah’s task of preparing him for this. "Where were you then?"

A poke to his chest made Lyle look down at the man's finger in confusion. "Always have been here. Just locked away by the curse. Asleep."

Lyle gave a loud grunt of exasperation and massaged his forehead with a hand. "You ARE right. This is going to take forever... ugh... I don't even know how to call this mess. And you haven't even started on your story!"  
Madas nodded, “No, I haven’t. And it appears it will be a longer one than I’m used to, especially if you haven’t heard of the Golden Goddesses. I’ll have to start at the beginning beginning.”  
“Why do you keep mentioning these ‘Golden Goddesses’?” Lyle asked curiously, still slightly exasperated, “Are they important?”  
Madas smiled sadly at the child, “Indeed they are. They made the world you live in, young one.”  
Lyle stared blankly at the man. It didn’t appear as if he was lying, and Lyle felt an instinctive trust. And yet, what he was saying contrasted sharply with everything he’d ever been taught. “If this is true, why don’t I know it to be so?”  
Madas sighed, “Well, to tell you that, I’ll have to tell you my story- and yours. What happened during the last time our spirit was on this Earth. The story of your companions, too.”  
Lyle wrinkled his nose again, “I don’t trust the man. The princess, I seem to recognize. But he feels... wrong.”  
“That makes sense.” Madas nodded, “You fought his previous incarnations many, many times. But he’s okay, trust me. Different.”  
Lyle frowned, but accepted the answer. Ganondorf hadn’t tried to hurt him, after all. Just the opposite, in fact.  
“And the princess? Why do I trust her?” Lyle asked, curious and hungry for the information. He’d lived with the nightmares so long that the chance to free himself from them was as tantalizing as fresh meat to a starved lion.  
“Easy, little one.” Madas laughed, “My, you’re impatient. Let me get the story out first...”

And so they walked, and as Madas talked, Lyle felt the broken pieces inside his skull start to sort themselves out. What the man was saying made sense and he could feel the truth of it, deep down to the marrow of his bones. They were two pieces, and he’d never known he’d lost part of himself until this moment but it made so much... SENSE.

The hungry longing for a place he’d never been to.

Knowledge of things he shouldn’t know.

Feeling as if the people he knew he didn’t, and those he didn’t he did. 

They were all echoes of a self he’d never known. One Drekko had taken from him with his world-jarring powers of forgetfulness.

And then there was the story. How the world had been created. It flowed, fit together, and was so much more right that whatever Drekko had decided to sell the populace. Lyle knew right away that this was real. That he’d finally reached the end of a long and brutal road.

“Come little one,” Madas finished, gesturing to the inside of a temple that had suddenly appeared into the dreamscape, “Let’s make you into a proper Fierce Deity, shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whee, another chapter finally! Thank to the readers for your patience and enjoy! :)


	30. One Battle Ends, Another Begins

After entering the temple, things just faded. Strange man included.

All became white, but at the same time it wasn't exactly white. Or black. Or any other color for that matter. It was a weird space where Lyle could see, yet couldn't. Where he could hear, but couldn't.

And if the memories hadn't started coming back... well... he would have thought the place was one weird dream all along.

Lyle, or Link, or Madas (he really needed to figure that out as soon as possible) was so overwhelmed by these memories that by the time he DID finally wake up he was screaming like a banshee, hands curling in his hair as someone was trying to hold him down.  
"I hate this!" He screamed, overcoming the already loud chaos around him. Was it a battle? Why was he even in the middle of a battlefield? Right, his dad. Or was it because he was trying to kill someone? "Why does it always hurt so much? I am SO done with this!"

There was something new burning in Lyle. He could feel the energy he’d channeled earlier in the battle, but now he KNEW it. Realized what it was. Could shape it. So when he got himself up and pushed his way out of the woman’s-no, Impa... he knew her- arms, his frustration boiled into the newly kindled power and released it.

His hair lost its last few sandy streaks, bleaching itself as he screamed. The markings on his face became vivid and alive. Something in Lyle knew this was right, but the part of him that was still a child was still fearful of this newfound strength.

Nevertheless, the energy radiated outwards like a cone, blasting the enemies in front of him. Zelda barely managed to both dodge out of the way and scream to Ganondorf to do the same before the blast arrived. Drekko’s men either were swallowed or ran in terror.  
Drekko himself weathered the blast as if it was nothing more than a slight wind, and smiled. The young deity was playing the game at last. “Well, well, well.” Drekko laughed, speaking to whomever would hear, “Tell him that I’ll be waiting at Hyrule Castle. And if he ever wants his father back, he’ll have to come get him. Or else he’ll be mine forever.”

And with that Drekko was gone, and the battle was over.

After releasing the energy, Lyle felt like an empty battery. Drained, shocked, confused. Even though he knew what he was now, he felt a conflict between a part of him that knew all and had lived so long, and the child... confused and still lost. A child who needed someone right now...   
“I want my dad.” Lyle whimpered into Impa’s arms. Impa’s eyes were agonized looking back at him, and he immoderately recognized something was wrong.

Chayne showed up, pushing Impa aside and wrapped her brother in her arms, “It’s okay Lyle. We’ll get through this.”

“T-that’s not my name.” he whispered slowly, crumbling into her embrace, “My name... is Madas.”

After that, things were a complete blur to him. At some point someone had carried him back, placed him on his bed, and somehow he asked to be left alone.  
So that's where he was. In his room, staring at a wall, and letting the memories of his past life filter back in. It was... he wasn't sure what it was, but at one point he found himself to be so very done with everything. Still, he knew for a fact that moping around wasn't going to help, so by the time the sun was rising once again, he left his room and trudged into the living room.

"I am so going to utterly destroy him..." he muttered, looking around at all the stuff he had accumulated through the many lives he had lived. "I swear... I'll hunt him down and make him pay even if it's the last thing I do for the next several reincarnations."  
He grabbed a book with an ornate cover and frowned at it. "There must be a way to free..." he muttered to himself, completely ignoring the people walking into the room. "I mean... Majora did it with me, didn't he? Ohhh... I could do without this headache..."  
“Hello, Madas.” Zelda greeted him, “How are you holding up?”  
Lyle paused. Blinked. Glanced over. The Princess was standing in the middle of the room, looking down on him as he fussed with his books and items. Ganondorf was lurking hesitantly in the doorway, unsure of whether or not to come in.

Lyle saw them.

But this time, he really SAW them. Zelda, the princess who’d willed herself against being Hylia’s reincarnation, who’d fought to be seen and for the world to see something different. Zelda who’d believed she could change people’s singleminded view.  
Ganondorf, who hadn’t been the first conduit of Demise to want something different, but who’d been the first to stick with it even when things were at their worst and the temptation of power was in the forefront. Who’d broken the curse.  
And they loved each other. Even though they were opposites. Maybe even because of it.

“Guys?” Lyle said, eyes cloudy as he recognized them- truly- for the first time, “...y-you’re here...?”  
“Do... does that mean you remember?” Ganondorf asked slowly, “Before?”  
“Yes? Well no? Well also yes?” Lyle rubbed his temples, “I think... I remember some things but not others...”  
Zelda put a hand on his shoulder, “It’s okay. We’re here to help you get through it.”  
Lyle beamed, “And you guys can control your powers now! That’s awesome!” Somehow, the idea that he wasn’t alone made everything feel so much better.  
Suddenly his face fell, “Drekko.”  
“Yeah.” Ganondorf replied sullenly, “There’s that.”  
“He has my dad.”  
“I’m so sorry, we didn’t...” Zelda managed.  
“No, it’s not your-“ Lyle sighed, “We have to do something I can’t... let him... I had a good family this time! I don’t want to lose that. Not many will stick with me even through the, uh, transformation.”  
“Yeah, we don’t know what to call it either.” Ganondorf laughed, slapping Lyle on the back, “Good to have you back though.”

Lyle smiled, then waved Ganondorf and Zelda off so he could look through some more books. If he could find out how to channel his divine form again... perhaps it could give them the edge they needed on Drekko.

Zelda and Ganondorf left, wandering around Kakariko aimlessly by themselves.  
“You know,” Zelda began, “It feels like it’s been forever since we came here, but somehow also no time at all.”  
Ganondorf smiled, “I know what you mean.”  
“You know,” Zelda sighed, “With everything that’s going on, we haven’t gotten much time to talk about... things... since we left the Divine Realm.”  
“Yeah. I guessed this would happen.” Ganondorf looked downcast, “I understand.”  
“What do you mean?” Zelda exclaimed in confusion, “We haven’t talked about anything yet!”  
“It was so much... simpler? Easier? Isolated? In the Divine realm.” the Gerudo sighed, “And now we’re in the real world and it’s not going to work is it?”  
Zelda looked hurt, “Don’t you want it to work?”  
“Of course.” Ganondorf emphasized, “But...”  
“But?”  
“But will the world let us? After Drekko is gone? If we even get there?”  
Zelda looked off into the mountains, hair blowing in the wind, “I don’t know.” she admitted, “But we won’t get anywhere if we don’t fight for it, will we?”  
“I suppose you’re right.” the large man conceded.  
“Are you with me?” Zelda asked, looking at him.  
“Always.” Ganondorf swore, wrapping his arms around her as they both glanced off into the red sky in the distance.

They spent a good while just looking at the horizon and being in each other's company. It wasn't exactly the first time they did that, but it certainly was the first time no one else was around.  
Impa was back to leading the Sheikah and making sure everyone was ready for whatever would happen. The other sages were back to their home too, and while they couldn't act yet, they had promised to do something when the time came.  
And as for Hylia and Demise, well, both Zelda and Ganondorf were very much happy to have left the gods behind to squabble over whatever problem that didn't exactly exist.

"You know, Zelda..." Ganondorf said after the evening started approaching. "I just thought... if people protest against us being together, we can get Madas to make them stop or something. He's a god, after all."  
In reply, Zelda snorted in the most un-ladylike way possible. Then waved Ganondorf's worry away. "You know what was the first thing he said when I summoned him?" she asked. "I don't remember the exact words, but he was whining about people summoning him to play matchmaker."  
Ganondorf looked at her for a moment, then desperately tried to hold in a laugh. "Who would...? Isn't he supposed to be a war god or something like that?"  
Zelda smiled fondly, “Well.” she began, “We both know he’s a little more than that.” 

And then they stayed there for a while, just enjoying each other’s company.


End file.
